NDSU investigates e-commerce packaging that could decompose in the garden – InForum

FARGO — Lokesh Karthik Narayanan, an assistant professor at North Dakota State University, believes he has a sustainable alternative to e-commerce packaging that could also help economic development in rural and tribal communities in North Dakota.

Narayan’s idea came about two years ago when he saw plastic bubble wrap bags and cardboard boxes strewn around his garage during Amazon Prime Day.

“The first thing that came to my mind was why not use something natural,” he said.

His idea was born from his passion for gardening.

“My goal was to have something that could be used in gardening,” he said. “You dissolve it in water, put it in the garden and it acts as mulch.”

Uses flax and hemp by-products from local farms and tribal communities to create alternative packaging prototypes.

According to Narayanan, most of the materials he uses for packaging are typically thrown away or burned as a byproduct. By using these materials, he hopes to produce affordable products while supporting local communities in North Dakota.

“Why not take something that goes to waste and find a secondary use to help farmers, society, the state and the economy?” he said.

The idea of ​​reusing hemp is not new, as in 2022, developers in Fargo built a home out of hempcrete. Hempcrete is a combination of crushed industrial hemp core with a lime binder and water.

Narayanan said his main goal is to make packaging from sustainable materials that can be easily recycled. He said most cardboard is 100% recyclable, but it comes from deforestation. Other packaging, such as plastic, is not made sustainably and cannot be recycled in the area, which is a threat to the environment.

According to Narayanan, certain types of materials, such as bubble wrap and plastic packaging, cannot be recycled in Fargo.

“If we have restrictions in big cities like ours, let’s think about parcels going to rural areas where you can’t even recycle cardboard,” he said.

Fargo can recycle paper, mail, cardboard, cans, plastic bottles, magazines and newspapers, but not other materials like some types of plastic and bubble wrap. The city has an online quiz for residents to test their knowledge of recycling protocol.

Narayan’s idea for sustainable e-commerce packaging has been in the works for years. A little over a month ago, he received a nearly $300,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to get the project off the ground.

With financial support from the grant, Narayanan and his team will be able to begin the initial stages of development with the hope of creating a more realistic package within the next two years.

Postgraduate student and research assistant Raihan Quader said he was looking forward to working with Narayanan on this project as they had been working together on various projects for over four years.

“It looks like a great pilot study so far,” Quader said.

The pair’s next step will be to make the materials waterproof, which could help their work receive larger grants and be implemented in large-scale projects.

They plan to use natural raw materials such as alkenes and natural seed oils, as opposed to the more commonly used water-resistant polyvinyl alcohol, which is biodegradable but uses chemicals.

Narayanan said waterproofing is the initial step in a long packaging process. He often includes students and other professors in his work, so multiple areas of expertise can help the product’s journey.

“Dr. Lokesh worked hard on this and took the time to make sure it was the perfect fit for this grant,” Quader said. “I’m thrilled that it’s been approved and we can finally work on it.”

Makayla Anderson is a reporter intern at Forum Communications. She was born and raised in Bismarck, ND, on a farm 20 miles east of Bismarck. Makayla currently attends Concordia College, where she is majoring in English writing and minoring in business and journalism. She plans to graduate in the spring of 2025. When she is not reporting, she enjoys reading, playing basketball, and painting.