Leading Australian fruit grower Montague has announced it will trial a new fibre board JASA punnet for its Jazz apple range.
The ten-week consumer facing trial of the new JASA packaging will be found in select IGA, Coles and Woolworths stores, beginning immediately.
In a blog post, the company said the new cardboard JASA sleever was one option that may replace single use plastic punnets and wrappers in the quest to reinvent fruit packaging and reduce plastic waste.
“As leaders in fruit growing, we are leading by example through embedding sustainability in every aspect of the business with a long-term view that there are always more improvements to be made,” said Montague managing director, Scott Montague.
“The cost involved to make positive change is significant, so we are striving to find the most cost-efficient solutions, however some changes have come at a price.”
The new JASA sleever pack will be produced using sustainable cardboard sourced in Australia from Visyboard.
Montague reports the packaging cost is 30 per cent higher than the current plastic option but is made from renewable resources and is fully recyclable.
Each 1kg pre-pack Jazz apples will increase by 20c to account for the added cost, which the company said was significant on low margin fresh produce.
“This innovative packaging option will lead the industry towards more sustainable packaging solutions,” added Montague.
