Recycled packaging trays made from sugarcane bagasse and agricultural fibers are emerging as a sustainable alternative to traditional foam boxes for preserving and transporting fresh produce. The approach tackles two difficult problems at once: post-harvest losses and plastic-waste pollution.

Two major challenges in the produce chain

Vietnam is a major agricultural producer, yet post-harvest loss rates remain high, especially for fresh fruits and vegetables that bruise and spoil easily during transport and storage. At the same time, the widespread use of foam boxes and single-use plastic packaging creates enormous volumes of hard-to-degrade waste. Green packaging from agricultural by-products offers a solution to both.

Technical advantages

  • Fully biodegradable within 60–90 days
  • Good moisture resistance, effective for low-temperature storage
  • Reduces post-harvest losses by 30–40% compared with conventional packaging

A circular economy from agricultural by-products

The core of this technology is turning what was once considered waste into valuable raw material. In a circular-economy model, agricultural by-products are no longer a burden to be destroyed but an input for a new industry.

  • Higher farmer income from selling by-products
  • Less pollution from burning or dumping residues in fields
  • New rural jobs and value chains
  • Reduced reliance on imported petroleum-based plastics

Agricultural by-products are not waste but an under-tapped resource; turning bagasse into packaging is a vivid expression of the circular economy.

Potential in Vietnam and ASTRI's role

With abundant sugarcane bagasse from the sugar industry and rice straw from paddy cultivation, Vietnam has ample raw materials to develop a green-packaging industry while solving the by-product problem. The Mekong Delta and concentrated sugarcane regions could become supply hubs for this new industry. As a research and applied-science institute, ASTRI supports the shift toward green packaging and the circular economy, aiming for lower-emission, lower-waste, and more sustainable agriculture.

Source: Agroecology Magazine – sinhthainongnghiep.net.vn