Front Row: Farhan Shaikh, Samantha Black, Jamie Foale , Henry Clark. Back Row: Daniel Schmidt, Adj. Prof. Al Jawhari, Ben Brierley.
Australian Stock Exchange listed company Papyrus Australia Limited (ASX:PPY) has developed a proprietary technology that converts banana plantation waste into a refined pulp intended to be used to produce a broad range of sustainable paper, board, and moulded packaging application products.
The patent pending technology, converts the plantation waste of the banana plant into a strong, durable and versatile refined pulp that is intended to be used in the production of all manner of packaging, food containers, trays and even as an environmentally alternative to Styrofoam and other packaging material. Rather than entering the market purely as a manufacturer, Papyrus Australia is focused on working collaboratively with growers, manufacturers, and converters to support the adoption of sustainable banana fibre materials across paper, board and packaging applications. The business already has its first major customer with a multimillion-dollar contract to supply the mining industry with an innovative, biodegradable version of a plastic product used in blasting activities in open cut mining.
Every year, the Australian banana industry produces many thousands of tons of organic waste, mostly the disused stems, stalks and leaves that end up decomposing in the field, which contributes to the release of methane (CH4) into the atmosphere estimated to be the equivalent of many thousands of tons of Carbon dioxide (CO2). It is a sector that is ripe for investment into circular economy initiatives.
Chaired by South Australian innovator and commercialisation expert Al Jawhari, Papyrus Australia was last year awarded a $250,000 matched funding grant from the Australian Government Industry Growth Program to support the early-stage commercialisation of its proprietary banana fibre processing technology from concept to commercial scale. The grant provided funding to establish the Rapid Prototyping and R&D Facility at the Adelaide University and the facility is now positioned to become a hub for collaboration between growers, manufacturers, customers, and technology stakeholders.
Rather than entering the market purely as a manufacturer, Papyrus Australia is focused on working collaboratively with growers, manufacturers, and converters to support the adoption of sustainable banana fibre materials across paper, board and packaging applications. The business already has its first major customer with a multimillion-dollar contract to supply the mining industry
Papyrus Australia CEO Daniel Schmidt said that the durability and versatility of banana fibre and the low impact conversion of the plantation waste material into a valuable fibre resource, makes it an attractive innovation for the food packaging, medical, and other industries using paper and board products.
“If the business has access to banana plantation waste we can support the development of a sustainable and profitable manufacturing venture,” explained Mr. Schmidt. “For the banana industry across the globe, this technology also represents a viable opportunity to help it utilise plantation waste,” added Mr. Schmidt.
At the Adelaide Rapid Prototyping and R&D Facility, Papyrus has developed, installed and begin operating their prototype pulp line and processing equipment, underpinning Papyrus’s transition from research towards commercialisation. Following collaborative laboratory and field-testing trials, Papyrus Australia has entered a $4.2million-dollar agreement to supply TBS Mining Solutions Pty Ltd, an Aquirian Limited (ASX:AQN) company, with a biodegradable version of its ‘collar keeper’ product, which is inserted into drill holes to protect the integrity of the holes before blasting takes place.
The agreement provides a defined revenue pathway over the initial 3.5‑year term and establishes Papyrus as the exclusive global producer of the biodegradable Collar Keeper® product variant. Mr. Schmidt said that the biodegradable collar advances the business’s mission to provide sustainable alternatives to a wide variety of industries and demonstrates the durability and versatility of banana plant fibre.
“Papyrus is in the process of establishing its Adelaide production facility which will house the key transformation technology and processes to convert the plantation waste into a valuable pulp for use in moulded products, paper and board applications. This facility will be the cornerstone for scaling our technology.”