Fresh Del Monte Produce, one of the world's leading vertically integrated producers, distributors, and marketers of fresh fruits, has announced the implementation of reusable plastic boxes for bananas.

The new banana packaging aligns with the organization's plans to redefine the process of packing, shipping, ripening, storing, and merchandising bananas in an effort toward sustainability. 

FreshFruitPortal spoke with Christian Salnars, Senior Director of Global Packaging at Fresh Del Monte, about the development of reusable plastic containers (RPCs), the importance of sustainability, and future initiatives on the horizon. 

According to Salnars, RPCs are widely used in the produce industry but packing bananas in them has always presented a challenge.

"This is because bananas are very susceptible to damage and bruising during handling, which is why the banana corrugated box hasn’t evolved much in the last few decades," he explains. "Development of this RPC design was achieved after several years of testing and perfecting the design in close collaboration with Arena Packaging, a leading packaging, design, and pooling company in North America."

The organization went through countless trials to ensure an end product that delivers the fruit with the best quality. 

Since bananas are the largest category in produce and a very delicate fruit that needs to be handled correctly, Salnars explains that the RPCs were developed specifically for bananas. However, the organization is already evaluating the potential use of sustainable boxes for other commodities. 

This is important for the company, he explains because they're looking at the latest sustainable packaging solutions and innovations to help minimize the impact of our packaging on the environment.

"We evaluate our commodities and programs on a case-by-case basis and try to determine the best alternative for each area," he adds. "Reusable packaging is one of the alternatives available to us, allowing us to use the same containers multiple times throughout the year, as opposed to using single-use corrugated boxes, which represent many tons of single-use paper packaging waste."

He explains the implementation of RPCs is more complicated than just developing a new package, it also requires the right logistics infrastructure and control to effectively reuse the packaging and incrementally reduce CO2 emissions every time the new packaging is reused.

Looking towards the future, Fresh Del Monte is addressing its sustainability goals by "attacking multiple fronts at the same time." 

"In such a diverse company as ours, we need to work on a case-by-case basis to find the right solutions for the different programs," he explains. "We’re actively working on multiple initiatives, some of which are focused on using less material, others that are focused on replacing one material with something better for the environment, and some are aimed at optimization of the supply chain."

Some of the sustainability initiatives on the company's radar are the introduction of lidding film containers for the fresh-cut fruit business in North America, the conversion of plastic banana bands to a paper alternative, expanding the use of certified home compostable fruit stickers on our bananas destined to select European markets, the introduction of 100% recycled plastic fasteners to hold pineapple tags on the fruit, the re-design of banana boxes in certain markets, which allows the organization to transport 5% more boxes per shipping container and reduce CO2 emissions.