CoRR’s goal is for produce, poultry, and seafood to be transported to grocers and restaunts in recyclable wholesale transfer packaging.
Poultry, meats, seafood, and produce are typically shipped to restaurants and grocery stores in a type of corrugated box which contains a wax moisture barrier that renders it un-recyclable, resulting in 1.36 million tons of waxed corrugated boxes discarded in the US each year.[1] If designed for recycling and recycled, use of recyclable boxes in place of paraffin-coated packaging yields a greenhouse gas savings of 4.5 million mtCO2e, equivalent to removing 900,000 passenger vehicles from the road.[2]
Solution
There are new coatings and boxes certified as recyclable by the Fibre Box Association. With recyclable coated boxes, restaurateurs and grocers don’t have to hide wax boxes in the corrugated bale or pay money for them to be hauled away. Many retailers such as Wal-Mart and Albertsons are already doing just that, and are experiencing great results in both box performance and cost savings.
In 2012, Global Green is coordinating a trial in the Salinas Valley of CA in which a variety of produce types will be transported from farms to a retail location in recyclable packaging. The trial will culminate in a press event where a "waste-free salad" will be made using produce transported in recyclable packaging to raise awareness regarding the relative benefits of recyclable packaging compared to non-recyclable alternatives. All CoRR members with FBA-certified recyclable wholesale packaging are invited to participate. For more information about the program, please click here. To find out how to have your product included in the trial, please contact Lily Kelly at 310-581-2700 x127 or lkelly[at]globalgreen.org.
Success Stories
Mountaire Farms & Interstate Container Convert Largest US Poultry Plant to Recyclable, Wax-Alternative Boxes
In March 2009, founder’s circle member, Interstate Container, and its business partner, Mountaire, announced its plans to conduct field trials on boxes used to ship poultry through wholesale channels.
Interstate and Mountaire Farms conducted multiple trials on boxes shipped through Hunt’s Point. Trials began pallet by pallet through Hunt’s Point’s harsh conditions and progressed to the truck load, and more recently a two week test shipping where Mountaire product shipped solely in the FBA-certified recyclable and compostable boxes.
With these results, Mountaire announced its plan to not only convert its existing modified atmosphere packaging to recyclable boxes but also to convert its ice pack product to modified atmosphere packaging to allow for a full transition of its entire product line to recyclable boxes. Full conversion at Mountaire’s Lumberbridge, NC facility was completed in January 2010. The switch to FBA-certified recyclable packaging is only one component of the sustainable packaging transition. The switch in packaging methods from ice pack to modified atmosphere packaging will result in significant water and energy savings. The box size was reduced, and inner plastic bag eliminated, also reducing use of corrugated and plastic. Overall water, energy, and greenhouse gas savings associated with the design and packaging of the poultry is being calculated. The package also passed the ISO 16929 protocol for plastic disintegration in a pilot scale composting facility.
If all of the newly designed boxes were recycled, the greenhouse gas benefit from source reduction and recycling the boxes would be 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. In addition, the switch from ice-packed poultry to modified atmosphere packaging is estimated to save millions of gallons of water annually. Combined these innovations also improve efficiency, streamline operations, and provide a safer work environment.
How to Get Involved
Participate in the April 2012 Recyclable Box Trial in Salinas, CA
Attend Site Tours of Growers, Box Makers, and Cooling Facilities
There are new coatings and boxes certified as recyclable by the