More companies are realizing the importance of sustainable packaging, including Fresh Del Monte Produce, which has launched reusable plastic boxes for its banana shipments.
As reported by FreshFruitPortal, the company is making major moves to overhaul its entire banana supply chain and switch to more eco-friendly practices. That includes switching from single-use corrugated boxes, which have been used for bananas for decades, to reusable containers.
Christian Salnars, the global packaging senior director at Fresh Del Monte, told FreshFruitPortal that reusable plastic containers are already implemented across the produce industry. However, using them for bananas is difficult since they're more fragile than other produce.
"This is because bananas are very susceptible to damage and bruising during handling, which is why the banana corrugated box hasn't evolved much in the last few decades," he explained.
But after years of working with leading North American company Arena Packaging to fine-tune the reusable plastic design, Salnars believes they have created the perfect banana-friendly box.
While bananas are the most popular fruit, hence the focus on designing sustainable boxes for them, Fresh Del Monte said it's assessing the possibilities of using reusable containers for other produce. As the company looks to reduce the environmental impact of its packaging, incorporating solutions for multiple products is essential to reaching its targets.
"We evaluate our commodities and programs on a case-by-case basis and try to determine the best alternative for each area," Salnars said. "Reusable packaging is one of the alternatives available to us, allowing us to use the same containers multiple times throughout the year, as opposed to using single-use corrugated boxes, which represent many tons of single-use paper packaging waste."
The new packaging will cut carbon pollution each time the plastic boxes are reused and help save trees used to make corrugated boxes. And since heat-trapping gases are released from both burning dirty fuels and cutting trees, the reusable boxes will help cool the planet and improve the health of communities.
Other sustainability initiatives in the works at Fresh Del Monte include incorporating lidding film containers in its fresh-cut fruit products, switching from plastic banana wrappers to paper, and launching 100% recyclable plastic for its pineapple tags.
"Making produce more sustainable for consumers, from the farms to the shelves, has always been a top priority for Fresh Del Monte," said Hans Sauter, Fresh Del Monte's chief sustainability officer and SVP of R&D, in a press release.
"By emphasizing the reuse of packaging materials, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint, while promoting a circular economy of plastics."
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