The original innovators
We work with businesses of all sizes transition to compostable packaging, reducing environmental impact through renewable, circular materials.
Why Ecoware?
Ecoware is a company built on the idea of change, which began 13 years back in a garage [like many other excellent ideas] and has grown from a start-up to an ambitious scaling global business with 600+ SKUS. We work with leading manufacturers within the packaging industry to deliver at volume, including the bioplastic pioneers NatureWorks, who have the capacity to deliver on the packaging needs of the biggest enterprises.
FSC® Chain of Custody Certification
Internationally recognised as the most rigorous environmental and social standard for responsible forest management, we hold the FSC® Chain of Custody Certification (FSC-C142978). Look for our FSC 100%, FSC Recycled and FSC Mix products.
Made from renewable materials
Our products are made from renewable resources such as bamboo, sugarcane, cassava, and corn. In the case of our sugarcane fibre products, sugarcane bagasse is an agro-waste-based material, a by-product of the industry.
Non-toxic inks
To achieve a certification of conformity under industrial composting conditions with any compostable standard, finished products are assessed for ecotoxicity, which includes colourants and inks.
Certified industrial compostable
Certifications build on the credibility of our industry. We select suppliers who have obtained third-party verification to international compostable standards, demonstrating the reliability of the products we put on the market.
Toitū climate positive organisation
Achieving Toitū carbonzero certification in 2013, in 2021, we were the first organisation to be certified Toitū climate positive. We are the only packaging company to hold this certification.
Amazing customer support
With three warehouses across Aotearoa New Zealand, orders are dispatched same day when received by noon, offering faster fulfilment.
Packaging with principles
None of our success would be possible without our incredible customers inspiring us to push boundaries and deliver solutions that drive meaningful change. We remain unwavering in our commitment to compostable materials, working closely with partners, composters, and governments to demonstrate the role of compostable products in driving a circular economy. And because our people are focused on delivering at scale for our clients, together we’re tackling the global waste crisis head-on to create a more thriving future.
Our main raw materials
Polylactic Acid (PLA)
One of the first bioplastics, polylactic acid (PLA), is produced by bacterial fermentation under controlled conditions of a carbohydrate source like corn starch, cassava or sugarcane. We work with bioplastic pioneer NatureWorks, which manufactures the industry-leading bioplastic brand Ingeo™. Comparable to fossil-fuel plastic functionality and usefulness, PLA has the ability to be processed in different forms, retaining the functional properties of plastic, but in commercial compost environments will decompose back to its natural element—the material starting block, lactic acid.
Where you will find PLA: Cold clear cups, lining our coffee cups, coffee cup lids, clear bowls, and container lids.
Paper
There is an increasing pressure on paper and forestry to relieve the growing tension for takeaway convenience as we move away from fossil-fuel single-use plastic packaging. Paper and paperboard products provide mechanical strength and are biodegradable, home and industrially compostable, with excellent printability. Lamination with the biobased polymers PLA provides improved barrier properties such as insulation and greaseproofing. Look for our FSC®-certified products (FSC-C142978).
Where you will find paper: Coffee cups, paper bowls, noodle boxes, kraft tableware, coffee carrier trays, coffee cup sleeves, napkins, straws and paper bags.
Birchwood
When responsibly sourced from sustainably managed forests, wood products are useful in meeting current demands for convenience while replacing fossil fuel single-use plastic packaging. A fast-growing species native to parts of Europe, northern Asia, the Arctic and North America, birch wood is a renewable alternative to plastic cutlery banned throughout Aotearoa since 1 July 2023.
Where you will find birch wood: Cutlery.
Bamboo
One of the most prolific sources of biomass in the world, bamboo is a resistant plant with rapid growth and a consequent high carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake. Each growth cycle completion (and harvest) occurs between 120 and 150 days. Durable, heat-resistant, and functional, bamboo packaging also plays a crucial role in reducing our dependency on wood products. The carbon sequestration capacity of bamboo forests is estimated to be similar to or even larger than that of fast-growing timber plantations.
Where you will find bamboo: Select cutlery items. Bamboo food boxes and lids.
Sugarcane
A by-product of the sugarcane industry, bagasse is what remains after crushing sugarcane stalks to extract their juice. Mainly fibrous materials such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, sugarcane bagasse is an agro-waste-based material solution that diverts this leafy biomass from incineration or landfilling on the fields. Mouldable and highly durable, sugarcane offers a wide range of product applications that work towards reducing the accumulation of plastic packaging waste without compromising any product features.
Where you will find sugarcane: Sugarcane tableware, sugarcane paper pulp coffee cup lids.
Aqueous linings
Functioning as a pigment that is absorbed into the fibres when applied to the paper, aqueous linings utilise a water-based dispersion system of polystyrene and polyacrylate polymers to create strong oxygen and oil barriers and insulation properties. Aqueous linings require fewer polymers (6 grams per square metre versus 30 grams of PLA or 15 grams of PE per square metre).
Where you will find aqueous linings: Aqueous cups.
Industry Partners
To ensure we remain at the forefront of our industry, we partner with national and international leaders in sustainable business practice.
Toitū climate positive certified
Our partnership with Toitū Envirocare ensures our efforts are audited and accurate. Certified in 2021 and recertifying this March, we continue measuring and reducing our emissions, guided by science-based targets in line with the scientific consensus on the global effort needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Toitū carbonzero certified
In 2013, we conducted our first greenhouse gas accounting. Despite high levels of growth over the past 12 years, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental responsibility as a Toitū carbonzero certified business.
Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)
We strive, wherever possible, to reduce the impact of our organisation which is why Ecoware holds the FSC® Chain of Custody (COC) Certification (FSC-C142978). The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) is a non-profit organisation, internationally recognised as the most rigorous environmental and social standard for responsible forest management. Look for our FSC® products.
Ingeo™
We work with NatureWorks, who manufactures the industry-leading bioplastic brand IngeoTM. As pioneers driving the current system in a more responsible direction, Natureworks new PLA manufacturing facility in Thailand is expected to open in 2025 with an annual capacity of 75,000 tonnes of Ingeo™️, with sugarcane sourced from farms within a 50-kilometre radius of the new site.
NZ Specialty Coffee Association
Being part of the NZSCA connects us with the global specialty coffee community and helps us stay aligned with the industry’s focus on quality, innovation, and sustainability. Membership means we understand the unique needs of coffee roasters and those who serve specialty coffee. Coming together is how we move froward.
Do you believe business can be done better?
We do. Whether you want to replace a single product, discuss a full transition
or take the leap into customisation, we’re here to help.