Compostable packaging – Andritz Empowers Genera’s Sustainable Future with Innovative Bioplastics Technology and Compostable Grass-Based Packaging to Replace Fossil Plastics and Boost Circular Green Growth 13-11-2025
Compostable packaging – Andritz and Genera Unite for a Greener Bioplastics Revolution,
Global technology supplier Andritz has partnered with Genera, a U.S.-based leader in grass-based packaging, to advance sustainable bioplastics production. Through this collaboration, Genera expands its capacity to create compostable, non-wood packaging that supports a circular, low-carbon economy.
The partnership centers around Andritz’s pulping and stock preparation systems, which are now powering Genera’s expanding facility in Vonore, Tennessee. The upgraded systems ensure a steady supply of high-quality pulp to Genera’s thermoforming lines, helping produce durable, compostable packaging for the food and consumer goods industries.
Expanding Sustainable Production with Advanced Technology
The latest installation from Andritz significantly boosts Genera’s pulp production capabilities. By integrating multiple refiners, pulp washing units, dewatering systems, and stock preparation equipment, the company can now meet growing demand for eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics. compostable packaging
According to Genera’s CEO, Ben Mascarello, this collaboration marks an important milestone:
Andritz’s advanced pulping systems enable Genera to expand production while staying true to its mission of producing high-quality, compostable bioplastics that protect the planet. compostable packaging
The new systems improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and strengthen Genera’s commitment to sustainability — all essential components for businesses aiming to meet modern environmental standards and corporate responsibility goals.
From Tennessee Grass to Global Bioplastic Innovation
Genera operates as a vertically integrated biorefinery that partners with local Tennessee farmers to grow regenerative grasses. These crops are cultivated sustainably and processed into molded fiber packaging — a domestically sourced, compostable material that rivals traditional plastic in performance and versatility.
By converting non-wood fibers into functional packaging, Genera eliminates dependence on imported or fossil-based resources. The result is a truly farm-to-compost supply chain, reinforcing U.S. manufacturing while supporting local agriculture and rural economies. compostable packaging
Genera’s compostable bioplastics are used across industries — from foodservice and retail to healthcare and institutional packaging. The company also offers a broad range of custom solutions, such as coatings, lamination, embossing, heat sealing, and printing — making its packaging both functional and brand-ready.
Circular Economy Meets Industrial Scale
The partnership between Andritz and Genera demonstrates how bioplastics innovation can be scaled sustainably. Andritz’s pulping technology increases production capacity without compromising environmental goals, making large-scale, compostable packaging a realistic and profitable alternative to fossil-based plastics.
Genera’s circular production model ensures that packaging materials can return safely to nature after use. Instead of ending up in landfills or oceans, the grass-based fibers decompose into valuable organic matter — closing the loop in a truly circular system.
Andritz has supported Genera since 2019, supplying essential non-wood pulping equipment and collaborating closely on process optimization. The companies’ continued partnership reinforces the global shift toward renewable materials and next-generation bioplastics.
A Step Toward a Compostable Future
As global demand for sustainable packaging accelerates, partnerships like this one are setting new benchmarks for innovation and environmental stewardship. With Andritz’s advanced processing systems and Genera’s local sourcing model, the future of packaging looks greener — built on renewable grasses instead of petroleum.
The Vonore expansion positions Genera as North America’s largest vertically integrated producer of non-wood molded fiber packaging. Together, Andritz and Genera are proving that bioplastics can scale, perform, and compete — offering businesses and consumers a cleaner, compostable future.
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