Berry sustainable: Growers aim for fully recycle-ready packaging

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries — the whole berry family is committing to recyclable packaging.

Berry producers in North America recently pledged to use 100 percent recyclable packaging by 2025, according to a joint release from the California Strawberry Commission, Aneberries Mexico, the North American Blueberry Council and the National Berry Crops Initiative.

The collaboration commits the companies to establish new specifications for packaging manufacturers. They will also encourage consumers to recycle the clamshells.

The groups will continue to compete and create economies of scale aimed at reducing costs and stimulate a closed-loop circular economy, meaning recycling berry clamshells will make new berry clamshells, the release states.

In California, berry clamshells made of PET are among the top food packaging products using post-consumer recycled content — with berry clamshells typically containing more than 50 percent recycled content. Most states do not support the recycling of thermoformed PET, but already recycle PET bottles.

Craig Snedden, president of Direct Pack Inc., said the trick to getting clamshells as recyclable as PET bottles is all in the label.

"If we work with our growers to do the same thing the beverage industry did, which is transitioning to a [biaxially oriented polypropylene] wash away label, then we have full recyclability," he said. "We saw the same transition take place in the early to mid-'90s with beverage bottles transitioning from paper-based labels to the wash away BOPP labels. There's no reason that can't happen now."

Snedden described California's recycling program as "full circle" but not closed loop. He will go to a materials recycling facility, go through the bales and buy back the thermoformed clamshells. His company then takes the post-consumer PET bales through Direct Pack Recycling's wash line, then extrudes new sheet and thermoforms the new berry shipping containers. The package ends up containing a percentage of PET from post-consumer bottle resin and the berry containers.

"If the investment is made, and there can be effective separation and segregation from PET bottles and the PET thermoforms, I think having everything within a system like that, you're going to be able to get to 100 percent recyclable," Snedden said.

Henry Bierlink, president of the National Berry Crops Initiative, said in a release: "Clamshell packaging revolutionized the ability of berry growers to transport their fruit to consumers nationwide. Now the industry is working together on the next phase of that revolution, one that preserves the ability to safely transport fresh berries to market while minimizing product damage, reducing food waste and demonstrating ongoing environmental stewardship."

The clamshell, which is described as a vented box with a hinged lid, has been used by the berry industry starting in the 1990s, creating a market for recycled PET water bottles. The packaging itself decreases greenhouse gas emissions because it uses less material and its light weight makes shipping cheaper.

The coalition touted the pledge as an enhancement to plastics recycling that generates jobs and economic benefits for local communities.

As for Direct Pack Inc., which recently bought a Mexican recycling company, Snedden says they are trying to help and shape the market for post-consumer PET.

"We're shaming some of these states to get with the program, that's what's going on," he said. "We're creating a market for this material now — it has a value. We're willing to pay, within reason, to get our thermoformed products back."

Three South American companies also joined the collaboration: the Argentinean Blueberry Committee, the Chilean Blueberry Committee and Peruvian Blueberry Growers Association.