New York based fresh produce importer and distributor, Jac. Vandenberg Inc. has introduced a market-first in sustainable packaging for its SUNRAYS products.
Vandenberg has been an industry leader, particularly in citrus, with its sustainable packaging innovations while collecting recognition and awards along the way.
Last year, Vandenberg’s citrus BIO bags won BNCW Magazine’s 2021 Eco-Excellence Award in the Snack Category. Building off that success, Vandenberg is now introducing its grape BIO bags via its SUNRAYS brand which, like their citrus counterpart, is certified home compostable.
The BIO bags are developed and produced by Israeli-based company, TIPA. The company provides fully compostable packaging that is designed to break down within months under compost conditions, just like any organic matter.
The bags are made from 20% bio-based plastic – derived from non-GMO corn sand sugar cane – and 80% fully compostable fossil-based polymers. With an active and healthy compost heap, these bags will disintegrate within six months.
“We’ve been exploring sustainable alternatives for grape bags for some time now,” says John Paap, Brand Manager at Jac Vandenberg. “We are all too aware of the problems with traditional plastic packaging, so It is critical we begin to move away from this material.
"In our BIO bags we have a real solution that offers something that looks and feels like traditional plastic but will biodegrade in compost, just like the fruit inside it. We are confident that these bags will help retailers achieve their targets set around zero waste, plastic reduction and overall sustainability.”
Later this year, Vandenberg will be launching an interactive page on its SUNRAYS website on the hows and whys of composting to educate and help consumers on their composting journey.
Consumers will be able to access this page via a QR code on the bags or by visiting the SUNRAYS website directly. The company says through this experience it hopes to make composting exciting and fun.
