WATSONVILLE, CA - As all the wheels that keep our industry turning, from grower/shippers, to retailers, to consumers, continue to raise the sustainability bar, Sambrailo Packaging is looking to take the challenge to the next level with the launch of ReadyCycle™.
With Earth Day coming up later this month, Juana Ramirez, Sambrailo’s Director of Sales and Marketing, took the time to share with me why ReadyCycle, the company’s latest introduction that is 100% recyclable, versatile, and marketable, might just be the next step in the evolution of eco-friendly produce packaging.
“We’ve created game-changers in the past,” Juana tells me, alluding to the company’s 94-year history of packaging innovations, including the introduction of the plastic clamshell in 1987. “As consumers push growers and retailers to be more environmentally aware, we decided that we needed to develop a solution that would achieve the same, or better, packaging functionality without the carbon footprint.”
The footprint for plastic packaging is imaginably quite large. Even though the plastic itself may be recyclable, if it has a paper label applied with regular adhesives the entire package potentially ends up in a landfill. “ReadyCycle is truly 100% recyclable in existing recycle streams,” states Juana.
ReadyCycle is manufactured with food-grade adhesives and printed with water-soluble inks, making it a packaging option which aligns with the ideals and standards of those that produce, sell, or buy organic produce—a continuously high-demand category.
“We want to connect with those concerned about the amount of plastic packaging used for produce items, and we want to partner with retailers and grower/shippers that really want to make an effort to reduce plastic,” Juana shares.
Not only does it tout complete recyclability, but ReadyCycle’s paper-based format makes it completely versatile for use with a wide variety of produce items. Just to name a few:
- Berries
- Tomatoes
- Green beans
- Peppers
- Small squash
- Zucchini
With an extremely condensed development timeline for prototypes compared to thermoformed plastics, pack sizes and weights can be adjusted easily and efficiently. But, there are still other key benefits for users as well, Juana says.
“The surface, inside and out, can be branded,” she explains of the marketability. Quick print turns make it ideal for seasonal messaging and promotions, and the increased marketing real estate allows for recipes and other nutritional information to be printed right on the pack.
Hungry for more? Visit www.readycycle.rocks for more information about ReadyCycle, or stop by the Sambrailo Packaging booth #419 at the West Coast Produce Expo in Palm Springs May 19-21.
AndNowUKnow will keep you up to date on the latest with these and all other produce innovations within the industry.
