immerfrisch
a packaging which makes fruit and vegetables last longer
Immerfrisch is a packaging which tackles food waste in the supermarket. During the pulp moulding process of immerfrisch zeolite is added to the material. Zeolite is a mineral, which adsorps ethylene, the gas responsible for the ripening process of fruit and vegetables. Fresh produce stored in immerfrisch has a longer shelf life and gets wasted less.
Every year about a third of all food gets thrown away. This is a huge loss of energy, water, agricultural areas, money and other valuable resources. Supermarkets and grocery stores play a huge role in this because they´re the second biggest food wasters after private households. Because of poor shelf management, consumer habits and the abundant amount of produce available, a lot of groceries land in the trash before they can be sold. Especially fruit and vegetables are at high risk to get wasted. The main problem is to keep fruits fresh and attractive looking because naturally they go bad fast. If it is possible to prolong the shelf life of fruits for even just one day up to 40% of fresh produce could be saved and sold. Immerfrisch offers a way to prolong the freshness of fruit and vegetables. The fruit trays are made from moulded pulp with the addition of zeolite. Zeolite is a mineral which occurs naturally or can be manufactured in the lab. It has the ability to adsorb ethylene, the gas responsible for the ripening process of fruits and vegetables. By binding the ethylene zeolite slows down the ripening process and fresh produce stays fresh longer. Immerfrisch is stackable to create a closed room for the produce and to ensure the best adsorption of ethylene and therefore the longest possible freshness and minimal food waste.
Paula Cosima Schwager, WS 2021/22 –
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