Leading fresh produce grower, marketer and distributor Oppy has introduced an innovative alternative to packaging for its kiwifruit. The newest effort in cutting plastic waste, its sugarcane-based packaging will debut with Oppy's green kiwifruit brand KeeWee. It details that this step is another development in its dedication to keep the environment "at the forefront" in its supply chain and business.

A result of a partnership between the company and Cane Pak, the bagasse-based packaging is recyclable, renewable and printed with vegetable-based inks. It says it's the first plastic-free, tree-free renewable packaging solution and is part of its "long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship".

The company highlights that its new solution is entirely compostable, meaning consumers can compost its waste at home only four weeks after eating the produce.

Oppy's director of marketing service Cathie MacDonald explained in a press release that, “Bagasse requires less chemical processing than tree-based pulp which means its environmental impact is reduced even further,”.

In order to create innovative solutions that provide consumers with an ecologically-friendly product, Oppys says that it works to incorporate environmentally-minded initiatives at the center of its work.

Senior manager of insights and innovation Garland Perkins outlined this idea by saying, “Innovation is at the heart of Oppy’s continued success over the years and this is just one of a series of developments that underscore our deep commitment to sustainable business practices across our value chain,”.

“At Oppy, innovation is more than a product or a package, it is a framework that guides all of our work on a fundamental level and we expect to launch even more developments on this front in the coming years.”