Upcycling domestic agricultural biomass into zero-waste, heat-stable commercial tableware. Scalable, locally sourced, and engineered to replace offshore single-use plastics without PFAS or synthetic resins.
Leaf & BioForm Co. was established to solve supply chain brittleness and toxic pollution in Aotearoa’s food service sector through heavy-duty engineering and domestic closed-loop material flows based right here in Wellington.
To build a high-efficiency circular economy in Aotearoa New Zealand where agricultural byproducts are upcycled into zero-waste, premium commercial materials.
To eliminate toxic, imported single-use plastics and PFAS-coated bioplastics in the hospitality sector by manufacturing 100% natural, domestically sourced bio-composite flatware with zero ecological footprint.
The hospitality and food service industry in New Zealand consumes hundreds of millions of single-use tableware units every year. Over 96% of these products are imported across vast oceanic distances, creating severe environmental, regulatory, and public health vulnerabilities.
Disposable tableware has low volumetric density. New Zealand businesses effectively pay international container lines to ship molded air over 11,000 nautical miles from Asia and North America. Volatile container shipping rates and supply shocks leave domestic hospitality supply chains chronically brittle.
Conventional polystyrene and polypropylene cutlery soften and shed microplastics under hot food conditions (>65°C). Even imported bagasse and molded paper pulp rely heavily on toxic PFAS ("forever chemicals") fluorinated coatings to resist hot cooking oils and boiling broth. When heated, these chemicals leach directly into meals.
Importing untreated or loosely monitored organic materials (such as overseas palm leaves, bamboo, or sugarcane stalks) introduces dangerous contamination vectors under Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) biosecurity protocols. Invasive insects, bacterial wilt, and tropical fungal spores threaten New Zealand’s primary agricultural export economy.
Domestic agricultural upcycling engineered to eliminate single-use plastics without PFAS forever chemicals, foreign biosecurity vectors, or offshore shipping liabilities.
We replace toxic offshore imports with botanical engineering: utilizing high-tonnage hydraulic heat-presses and cross-lamination engineering on domestically grown Northland banana pseudostems and foliage.
Harvesting structural vascular fibers from New Zealand subtropical banana biomass to replace imported plastics.
Directly sourcing post-harvest pseudostems and foliage from commercial subtropical banana growers across Northland and Gisborne, converting agricultural crop residue into domestic manufacturing value.
Washing with recirculated rainwater, natural enzymatic loosening, and mechanical decortication to align structural vascular bundles without toxic solvents or harsh bleach.
Multi-stage compression at 120–150°C and 45–60 metric tonnes. Endogenous lignins melt and cross-link into a rigid, waterproof bio-composite structure.
Automated trimming produces smooth, splinter-free culinary edges, followed by density-uniformity optical scanning and hygienic packaging.
Sumit Chauhan is an analytical operations professional and Systems Thinker. With a foundation in IT Engineering and a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Informatics, he spent years mastering high-volume fintech customer support (OrbitRemit) and multi-agency compliance (MIQ).
During a period of physical recovery, he applied complex systems thinking and design principles to his own life, resulting in extreme resilience and a 25kg weight reduction. He translated this operational mastery into building Lucent Flow, a digital systems agency.
Now, he is bridging that tech infrastructure, data validation, and customer-first service psychology with physical manufacturing to scale Leaf & BioForm Co. efficiently.
“Circular manufacturing cannot rely on moral appeals or boutique pricing. If sustainable materials are to replace single-use plastics across Aotearoa, they must outperform incumbent polymers in rigidity, withstand extreme commercial temperatures, and scale through disciplined systems engineering. That is the mandate of Leaf & BioForm Co.”
— Sumit Chauhan, Founder & Systems Thinker
We are actively establishing commercial trial agreements and wholesale supply partnerships with food service distributors, corporate caterers, university campuses, and municipal councils across Aotearoa.
We are in proactive alignment with the Wellington City Council (WCC) Waste Minimisation initiatives to divert organic agricultural residues and eliminate petroleum single-use packaging at the source.
Submit your wholesale or organizational procurement specifications.
Thank you for your interest. Please note: This platform serves as a demonstration of our upcoming manufacturing capabilities. Leaf & BioForm Co. is currently in active discussions with the Wellington City Council regarding Waste Minimisation funding to scale our local facility. As we navigate this pre-launch phase, direct conversations are highly encouraged. Please contact our Founder, Hardy, directly at 0221312425 to discuss strategic partnerships, early supply allocation, or our operational roadmap.
You don't have to be a commercial caterer to choose better tableware. Everyday Kiwis can now buy home-compostable tableware packs crafted from Northland banana biomass for your next weekend BBQ, wedding, beach picnic, or whānau gathering.
Ideal for backyard barbecues, summer beach picnics, or dinner with mates. Rigid enough for grilled steaks and hot potato salads without bowing or leaking grease.
Designed for celebrations, weddings, corporate team lunches, and large whānau gatherings. Built with enhanced edge stiffness for buffet lines.
Be the first in New Zealand to experience 100% natural, toxic-free Kiwi banana tableware.
Thank you for your interest. Please note: This platform serves as a demonstration of our upcoming manufacturing capabilities. Leaf & BioForm Co. is currently in active discussions with the Wellington City Council regarding Waste Minimisation funding to scale our local facility. As we navigate this pre-launch phase, direct conversations are highly encouraged. Please contact our Founder, Hardy, directly at 0221312425 to discuss strategic partnerships, early supply allocation, or our operational roadmap.