An Interview with Daphna Nissenbaum, TIPA® Compostable Packaging CEO & Co-Founder: ‘We Bring a broad Perspective to the market, Focusing on the Future State of the World and not Just on Finding a Temporary Solution’

“TIPA^® has become a thought leader in the field of sustainable practices and a prominent player in helping the world achieve a true circular economy.”

The plastic used for food and beverage packaging makes up two-thirds of the world’s plastic waste.

However, flexible packaging (packages for items such as fresh produce, coffee, snacks, granola bars, apparel, mailers, etc.) is a growing segment of the world’s packaging market. Even though the volume of flexible packaging is smaller by weight and space, most flexible packaging cannot be practically recycled.

In light of the foregoing, we’re thrilled to present TIPA^® Compostable Packaging –a leading developer and manufacturer of fully compostable packaging.

The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in Hod Hasharon, Israel.

Daphna Nissenbaum, TIPA^® Compostable Packaging CEO & Co-Founder, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Why was the company set up? And how did you expand your company and its offerings over the years?

TIPA^® was established in order to offer a viable solution for the plastic waste crisis. In recent years, the negative impact of single-use plastic on the environment has become a topic of urgency. The end-of-life of a package determines whether it is safe or harmful to the environment upon breakdown. Flexible packaging with a viable end-of-life solution is required in order to solve the problem of plastic pollution.

TIPA^® therefore focuses its research and development on the flexible packaging industry, offering a vast and growing portfolio of fully compostable packaging solutions. By taking existing compostable polymers and inventing a myriad of high-end packaging applications, TIPA^® is able to provide mass-market solutions with cutting-edge technology. A pioneer in the field of compostable flexible packaging, TIPA^® brings to market a wide and professional range of state-of-the-art, end-to-end packaging solutions. With R&D developments that are a result of years of innovative research, TIPA^® specializes exclusively in compostable packaging.

What challenges did you face in your initial years?

When TIPA^® first started out, only starch-based, PLA and mono bio-polymeric products were available in the market, which didn’t fully meet the requirements necessary to be applied to high-end products such as packaging for food and fashion. More advanced technology which could meet the mechanical and optical standards necessary for such packaging was lacking.

TIPA^® identified this need in the market and created smart packaging, meeting the technical requirements of flexible packaging, all the while encompassing a natural end-of-life, where the package breaks down safely into soil nutrients upon placement under compost conditions, just like an orange peel.

A recent upsurge in global awareness of the negative effects of conventional plastic packaging has led consumers and brands to seek out alternatives that are better for the environment. Compostable packaging is now in demand, however proper infrastructure built to support a circular waste system is not yet widely in place. Legislation and pressure from the consumer end are driving change such that future infrastructure will support compostable packaging and organic waste, both sharing the same end-of-life.

Share a successful experience with one of your customers.

Waitrose & Partners along with Primafruit Ltd. collaborated with TIPA^® to design fully compostable packaging for their organic Fairtrade bananas. Waitrose was in search of a home compostable solution and TIPA^® was the perfect match, providing the large supermarket chain with a home compostable, highly transparent package with the same look, feel and functionality as their previous polyethene bags. TIPA^® worked closely with Waitrose & Partners and Primafruit Ltd. to design the package and accommodate launch plans. Customers were pleased with the change and offered very positive feedback. Following the launch, TIPA^® received many inquiries from fresh produce companies and global players who could now see that fully compostable packaging is not just a theoretical solution but rather something that can be easily implemented and offered to the market – a package that turns waste into a resource.

What do you feel are the reasons behind your company’s reputation?

TIPA^® brings excellency in the field with an up-to-date, visionary perspective. We are not just selling rolls of films and laminates, but a narrative for a cleaner world.

If you have to list five factors that have been/are the biggest asset to your organization, what would they be and why?

• Creativity – Striving to reach innovative technological advances
• Professionalism – Absorbing industry knowledge and educating the market
• Urgency – Racing to solve the global plastic waste crisis affecting all nations
• Perseverance – Paving a viable path to a sustainable future and staying on course
• Agility – Ability to be flexible and think outside the box when rerouting is necessary

Is your company a leader or follower?

TIPA^® is a pioneer in the industry whose entire belief system embodies the enactment of the company’s sustainable ethos and the TIPA^® team expresses it in every possible way. TIPA^® goes beyond the manufacturing of packaging applications, also serving as an educational source for composting and sustainable awareness. TIPA^® is called upon to speak at dozens of events yearly to present our agenda and introduce cutting-edge technology on a global stage. Recently dubbed a ‘Technology Pioneer’ by the World Economic Forum, over the years, TIPA^® has become a thought leader in the field of sustainable practices and a prominent player in helping the world achieve a true circular economy.

Where do you see you and your company a couple of years from now?

The company will continue growing as a market leader in the space of compostable packaging, remaining at the forefront of change with cutting-edge technology. TIPA^® will continue penetrating the market, collaborating with companies from all over the world using our solutions. Together, we are changing the future of flexible plastic packaging by replacing it with fully compostable solutions. Daphna Nissenbaum will continue leading TIPA^®, helping it reach new heights and driving an impactful change in the market.

Daphna Nissenbaum: A Formidable Leader

Daphna Nissenbaum is the CEO and Co-Founder of TIPA^® Compostable Packaging.

Before launching TIPA^®, Daphna was CEO of the Caesarea Center for Capital Markets and Risk Management at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Herzliya. Previously, she held various management positions at SPL World Group Ltd., a provider of revenue and operations management software, prior to which she held the position of project manager at Whelty Lager Ltd., located in Boston MA, USA.

Daphna holds an MBA specializing in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from IDC Herzliya (graduated with honors) and a BA in Economics and Software Engineering from Bar Ilan University. She graduated the elite Israel Defense Force software engineering program (Mamram) and served in the Israeli Navy software unit as an officer (ranked Captain).

Today, Daphna is leading the TIPA^® team in the movement to revolutionize packaging systems and rid the world of plastic pollution. TIPA^® fully compostable flexible packaging replaces conventional plastic, turning waste into a resource – a crisis into an opportunity.

“TIPA^® brings excellency in the field with an up-to-date, visionary perspective. We are not just selling rolls of film, but a narrative for a cleaner world.”