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Transform your dinner plate into a tomato plant with the help of this eco-friendly startup

Claudia Barona and Andrés Benavides are—quite literally—growing their eco-friendly business.

The husband-and-wife team created Lifepack, which makes biodegradable plates (produced from argicultural waste and seeds) that can germinate into plants. They left their home country of Colombia for St. Louis two years ago after receiving a $50,000 grant from Arch Grants, a St. Louis-based organization that helps fund entrepreneurs.

Barona, who studied industrial engineering in Colombia, and Benavides, who practiced law, launched Lifepack in 2011 out of concern for the environment. They noticed customers didn't have many options at the supermarket for disposable plates outside of paper and plastic.

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