US and Portugal-based kencko has chosen renewable and compostable NatureFlex films to use within its sachet packaging for freeze-dried smoothie mixes. With a passion for foodtech, sustainability and wellness, Tomás Froes, founder and CEO of kencko, developed the first iteration of the smoothie mix after being diagnosed with acute gastritis, causing him to look for a convenient and affordable way to carry healthy fruits and vegetables with him at all times.

With social responsibility and sustainability in mind, Froes and his co-founder, Ricardo Vice Santos, are offering something unique to consumers by providing kencko’s convenient, nutritious, low-waste smoothies as a monthly subscription service, supported by free nutrition coaching. The kencko goal is to transform fresh, organic fruits and vegetables into handy, single-serving powdered smoothies. Each one contains about 80 calories and gives the same nutritional benefits as two cups of fresh produce. 

The kencko product has been matched with compostable packaging. The kencko sachet, manufactured by sustainable packaging converter Bio4Pack, includes a layer of NatureFlex from Futamura, laminated to another biofilm.

NatureFlex films are produced from sustainable wood pulp that’s  harvested from responsibly managed plantations and are certified to both EU (EN13432) and US (ASTM D6400) composting standards. NatureFlex films are part of the overall compostable solution for a variety of product and package types. All of the company’s packaging films can be made-to-order and completely custom. These products can be produced for a wide range of industries, shapes, sizes or specific requirements of a brand’s products.

In addition to industrial composting, NatureFlex has also reached the TŰV Austria OK Compost Home standard required for backyard composting. NatureFlex offers an excellent barrier to aroma, gas, and moisture, the company says.  

The final pack is currently certified for industrial composting. However, as they strive to continuously improve and offer a better product for the consumer and the planet, kencko and its suppliers are working together to produce a home-compostable sachet soon.  

Patrick Gerritsen, founder and CEO of Bio4Pack, says, “It’s a privilege working with a company such as kencko. In three years’ time, we have grown from scratch to the numbers we have nowadays. We are constantly in the process of optimizing our product portfolio: mainly thanks to kencko, we will invest in a new laminating machine to realize a certified home-compostable multi-layer film.”  

Lucy Greeves, brand director at kencko, comments, “As a Certified B Corporation, it is really important to us to make sure that not only our product is ethical and sustainable, but the packaging is too. NatureFlex was the obvious sustainable packaging choice for us. It’s a functional and viable alternative to conventional plastic film.”  

The fruits and vegetables used in the powders are freeze dried to preserve nutrients. By doing this, kencko has tackled two problems in one go. The resulting powder, having had all water removed, is much lighter and logistically easier to transport. At the same time, it reduces the risk of spoilage compared to fresh produce. Americans throw away an estimated 58,500 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables every day – equivalent to 130 fully loaded jumbo jets. Per person, that’s 164 grams of waste per day – about the same amount of produce that’s saved by one kencko smoothie.  

Due to the inherent properties of the freeze-dried powders, they are extremely hydrophilic. It is, therefore, essential that this flexible packaging protects the product from moisture.
The biolaminate sachet keeps the product dry and safe from contamination while also having a compostable, environmentally responsible end of life solution. These smoothies from kencko are available on a subscription basis throughout the US and Europe.