With the investment of a new factory in Zeebrugge, Belgium, kiwifruit giant Zespri is ramping up its efforts to ditch plastic in favor of 100% cardboard kiwifruit packaging.
“2021 marks a real turning point,” the company stated, “thanks to the larger scale deployment of 100 per cent cardboard packs.”
Zespri has been working to reduce plastic packaging since 2018 through a combination of local and global initiatives. The French retailer Monoprix was the first to sell Zespri’s entire range in 100% cardboard packs last year.
These news packs can reportedly be automatically produced at the company’s packing station in Zeebrugge.
Zespri France is working on developing new cardboard packaging this season, in order to expand its use throughout France, “adapted to the machines and operating methods of its French distribution partners”.
Accordingly, the volume of cardboard boxes sold in 2021 is expected to represent more than three-quarters of total sales, up from just four percent last year.
“This long-term strategy reflects the commitment of Zespri, which for many years has been imagining increasingly sustainable packaging to meet consumer expectations and minimise its impact on the planet and on people,” Zespri said. “The year 2021 is a new key step in this process towards the packaging of tomorrow and a circular economy.”
Source : fruitnet
