Sustainability and Convenience: Can Produce Packaging Satisfy Both?

Consumer demand, retailer sustainability goals, and new regulations are driving innovations.

Convenience has long been the primary focus for produce packaging, but recent years have seen the emergence of what some might see as a competing concern — sustainability. Driven by consumer concern, and by new legal regulations, sustainable packaging is now a priority for many grocery retailers, but can the two co-exist?

Kelsey Weingart, brand manager, marketing at Peri & Sons Farms in Yerington, NV, says sustainability and recycling are currently top of mind across the industry, especially with California’s new SB-343 law pushing the conversation even further.

“Packaging can’t just claim to be recyclable anymore. It actually has to be accepted by recycling programs, and that’s raising the bar for everyone,” she says.

“With a change like this comes real cost, and it’s not as simple as swapping out a logo or a material. Companies have to rework designs, replace printing plates, and place entirely new packaging orders. What looks like a small label change from the outside actually takes real time and substantial investment behind the scenes. We see it as part of doing business the right way, but it’s worth being upfront that these transitions aren’t instant or free.”

Specializing in whole onions, Peri & Sons is currently in the process of moving its full line of organic products to plastic-free packaging, one of the first steps being the introduction of its 100% plastic-free, compostable and recyclable “Earthbag.”

According to Brian Pincus, vice president, innovation at Atlanta, GA-headquartered Smurfit Westrock, sustainability is no longer a side conversation; rather, it is central to how retailers, growers, and consumers evaluate packaging.

“Sustainability now plays a central role in the produce industry, with retailers, growers, and consumers increasingly looking for packaging that reduces plastic while maintaining product protection, shelf life, and supply chain performance,” he says.

DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

In the opinion of Victoria Lopez, marketing and business development manager at McAllen, TX-based Fox Packaging, the industry is witnessing a shift from sustainability messaging to sustainability proof. This, she says, has brought a movement in the conversation from broad claims to extended producer responsibility, standardized recycling language, and greater transparency around the claims a package makes.

“Buyers and consumers are asking more questions, and packaging has to do more than sound sustainable. It has to protect the product, run efficiently on the line, and fit into real recycling systems before it can credibly support a sustainability claim,” Lopez argues.

A second important trend, Lopez continues, is the growing role of the package as a communication tool.

“Shelf impact still matters, but packaging needs to clearly communicate nutrition, origin, product details, and recycling instructions within limited space,” says Lopez.

Pincus, meanwhile, says the focus for Smurfit Westrock is very much on practical paper-based packaging innovations that help produce brands reduce plastic, citing the company’s paper-based EverGlow primary packaging for produce, and its moisture-resistant WetTech for cold-chain and high-humidity environments.

“The key advantage of paper-based packaging is that it helps brands reduce reliance on plastic and advance sustainability goals without compromising performance,” he says.

Although he emphasizes that the best fit depends on the commodity and supply chain requirements, Pincus says paper-based packaging performs particularly well for products, such as berries, grapes, snacking tomatoes, avocados, citrus, and many tree fruits.

SUSTAINABILITY A PRIORITY

Headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, Stemilt Growers has long focused on sustainable packaging through its own Responsible Choice program, and the launch of paper four-packs to give an alternative to plastic.

But while legislation, such as Extender Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is starting to be enacted by states — where suppliers are required to pay fees based on the package type — Stemilt’s Marketing Director Brianna Shales says plastic bags and pouches remain important to retailers. Instead of complete elimination, she says Stemilt will focus on making improvements.

Lopez at Fox says sustainability is a priority across the industry, and increasingly is an important part of Fox’s own product development conversations, with the company seeking to make flexible packaging more efficient, more recyclable, and better aligned with the realities of today’s recovery systems. To this end, Fox is continuing to expand recycled content across its portfolio, and now includes 30% post-consumer recycled content in much of its materials.

“Our focus is not simply on eliminating packaging, but on designing packaging that is right sized for the commodity, uses material responsibly, supports recyclability where possible, and helps reduce unnecessary waste throughout the supply chain,” Lopez adds.

Aptar Active Material Science, a packaging manufacturer specialized in solutions for the fresh-cut segment, recently launched Halopack, a 90% paperboard packaging system that can hold liquid and MAP items for over 21 days, while featuring sidewall windows.

“Shoppers want to feel good about the brands they’re buying from, from the brand’s story down to its packaging.”

— Christa Biggs, Aptar Active Material Science, Auburn, AL

According to Christa Biggs, manager of business development at the Auburn, AL-based company, Halopack is the only true paperboard item in the market that can act as a direct replacement for plastic, “delivering equivalent shelf life, barrier properties, operations, and supply chain robustness.”

FINDING A BALANCE

Convenience has been a key element of produce packaging for much of the past decade, but aligning this demand with sustainability obligations is likely to take center stage in the coming years.

Finding the balance between sustainability and convenience remains a challenge, Shales admits. “New packaging, whether sustainable or not, takes time to become efficient to reduce costs.”

For Lopez, the balance is found at the commodity level, advocating the need to match the right structure to the right product. “A film structure may be the right fit for a commodity that needs light protection, mesh may be the best option for products that require airflow, and a resealable pouch may make sense for snacking or value-added produce that consumers use over multiple occasions,” she says.

Biggs at Aptar believes the “sweet spot” between convenience and sustainability lies in avoiding either extreme — all-plastic convenience or all sustainability — and instead focusing on reducing total system waste while remaining affordable and easy to use.

“The best sustainable solutions are those that maintain freshness and reduce shrink while using less material.”

Headquartered in London, Ontario, Crawford Packaging is a manufacturer that supplies paper trays, as well as linerless labels, and recyclable PE stretch films. It offers a variety of grab-and-go packaging solutions in both single-serve and multipack formats.

Director of Marketing Magdalena Becker says Crawford is seeing strong interest in solutions that reduce environmental impact. At the same time, she admits there is still a challenge: Many sustainable packaging options come at a higher cost.

“We believe the future lies in packaging solutions that use less material, improve recyclability, reduce food waste, and remain cost-effective.”

— Magdalena Becker, Crawford Packaging, London, Ontario

“The industry continues to work toward solutions that are both environmentally responsible and economically viable,” says Becker.

While sustainability has become a priority throughout the produce supply chain, its success depends on balancing environmental goals with the realities of protecting highly perishable food, says Mark Medovitch, content manager at Inline Plastics Corp, Shelton, CT.

“Fresh produce has a limited shelf life, so packaging has an important job to do — if it helps prevent damage, extends freshness, and reduces food waste, it’s contributing to sustainability in a meaningful way,” he argues.

“When packaging performs well, retailers can reduce shrink, processors can improve efficiency, and consumers receive fresher products,” he says.