Interviewed by Mohamed Warsame, VFC Student Intern from Edmonton, AB

Hello and welcome to YBB Connect’s Student Feature. My name is Mohamed Warsame and today we are speaking with Amanda Hardman. She is a second-year sustainable agriculture student at the University of Alberta. Amanda has developed a biodegradable lettuce packaging prototype. This clamshell package was made from sugarcane fibre and was designed to be more sustainable and produce less waste.

Q1. What made you interested in sustainable packaging?

I was looking to do a science fair project for my grade 12 year, and I was having a hard time deciding on a project topic. I was really interested in putting new use to waste products or underutilized products. I was also very interested in Tentree and how they use algae to create padding for their sports bags, recycled bottles for their clothing, etc. I was trying to think of a way to incorporate those two aspects into a project focused on sustainable agriculture, and after some research, I landed on using cellulose nanocrystals for food packaging!

Q2. How did you acquire the resources needed to make the clamshell package? What were the costs associated?

I was able to find someone at Alberta Innovates in Edmonton to help me acquire liquid cellulose nanocrystals. I bought a 50 pack of bagasse (sugar cane) fiber to-go boxes to use as a substrate for the liquid cellulose. The people at Alberta Innovates were nice enough to spray the crystals on the boxes for me, so I only had to worry about purchasing the boxes!

Q3. What was it like speaking at the Ag Summit? Was it your first public speaking event?

Due to the size and format of the event, participants didn’t have the chance to speak at the event. Because of the current pandemic, we participated in the summit via an online livestream over the course of two days. They had some fantastic speakers from various backgrounds to share their experiences in leadership and agriculture. It was very interesting to hear about their work and their experiences.

Q4. What steps do you think are needed to make your product ready to be marketed?

I would need to work on the design of the packaging. I only had two months to experiment on the proof-of-concept, so the aesthetic of the boxes has a long way to go. I also want to see if I can make the packaging more effective for perishable food storage.

Q5. Can you share any memorable experiences that happened at the Youth Ag Summit?

Hearing about global agricultural issues was super interesting to me! I often hear about Albertan or Canadian agricultural issues, so being able to hear about problems that I don’t normally consider was a welcome change.

Q6. Have you been approached by any NGOs about your product? If so, have you collaborated with any of them?

Besides receiving help with my science fair project with Alberta Innovates, I was approached in my grade 12 year to participate in the BEST Lassonde STEM Bootcamp in collaboration with Youth Science Canada. The three-day program was focused on moving our projects from a science fair project to a more business-focused project. It was a very fun experience to meet other innovators from across Canada and to learn more about STEM business development!

Q7. Can you explain further why you think your product would not work in some countries as intended?

In less consumer-heavy countries, this packaging would be less useful. This packaging was made with countries like Canada, the U.S. and the E.U. in mind, where consumer supply chains are such a big part of how we live. In countries where this is less prevalent, there would be less of a need for this type of packaging.

Q8. What’s next for Amanda Hardman? Are you working on any new projects?

Besides getting my degree, I’m not sure what’s next on the horizon! I know I’ll continue to work in sustainable agriculture, but who’s to say where I’ll end up!

We are excited to feature students in our community thriving and making an impact that direct effects the way we all live our daily lives. Thank you to Amanda Hardman on being our first guest and our student intern, Mohamed Warsame for leading this project for us. - YBB Co-Founders

Meet Food Packaging Change Maker, U of A's Amanda Hardman.