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Naturipe Farms’ latest top-seal packaging not only saves on plastic but also works brilliantly as a shelf-space saver and as a marketing tool for the company to display its new logo and products clearly.
the labor component of packing as they are highly automated.
She notes this development also reduces plastic by replacing lids and leads to reduced storage as nested PET punnets take up less space in inventory than clamshells.
Boase is the founder of Earthcycle, one of the products in CKF’s line that uses a blend of virgin and post-industrial recycled corrugate, with all pulp coming from FSC (Forest Stew- ardship Council)-certi ed or controlled sources.
She says manufacturers of more sustainable packaging solutions have to give retailers more than just the “it’s good for the planet” story, and their products will only stay on the shelves if “the complete package substantially contributes toward a circular economy.
“We have to provide a clear bene t in terms of shelf life, reduced waste, improved sales, and reduced carbon [footprint],” says Boase. “We have to show how our packaging impacts the entire supply chain.”
Boase explains the advent of top-sealing machines has been critical to the market expan- sion of Earthcycle in the fresh produce industry.
“Being able to seal our punnets immedi- ately allowed for stackability in transit and on store shelves, which had always been our Achilles heel,” she says.
She says Earthcycle packaging is currently seeing a lot of traction in fruit such
as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, as well as table
grapes, tomatoes and green-
house categories.
“All of our commercially available programs have a demonstrated improvement on the shelf life of the fresh produce that is being packed — right from point of pack-
aging through to the retail shelf,” she says. Meanwhile, even though it has been around for longer than top sealing, ow wrapping is also having a bene cial impact
on this kind of packaging.
“When ow wrapping and Earthcycle are
used in conjunction for tender leaf and fresh herbs, the shelf life bene ts are astounding,” says Boase. “In shelf life studies done, an Earth- cycle ow wrap solution extends shelf life by 20 percent as compared to PET clamshells.”
Sara Lozano, marketing manager at Sambrailo Packaging in Watsonville, CA, says reducing plastic is a trend that will not be fading away.
“Consumers are educating themselves, and companies are becoming aware, of the crisis we are in when it comes to recycling in general and plastic’s role in the problem,” says Lozano, whose company has gone back to basics with paper in the development of its ReadyCycle packaging, with no wax, labels or plastic.
“It can be recycled in the existing paper- board and cardboard recycling stream,” she says. “If it ends up in land ll or the natural environment it has a lifespan of approximately two to four months and can be composted under certain conditions and practices either at home or in an industrial facility.
She says there is a great oppor- tunity with fresh produce to revolutionize this segment for consumers and claims the ReadyCycle packaging
CKF’s EarthCycle uses a blend of corrugate that possesses an “enviornmentally responsible” tray, as well as top-seal technology.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EARTHCYCLE PACKAGING
30 / AUGUST 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS