Packaging is a topic on everyone’s lips at the moment. More pointedly, the need to justify the use of packaging to your organisation, to your customers and ultimately to end consumers has never been greater.
While there is currently a negative connotation around packaging in fresh produce, there is also a huge opportunity to market your product and brand to stand out from the competition.
A good strategy to deploy when it comes to your company’s packaging choices is the Three Rs: remove, reduce and replace.
Remove
If your product does not need to be packaged, or the packaging does not add any value, simply remove it.
Reduce
There are many ways to implement this. Switching over from a clamshell format to a top-seal format can reduce the amount of plastic being used by up to 33 per cent, depending on the pack.
Reducing the amount of packaging you use is good both for the environment as well as the bottom line on your packaging spend.
Another way to reduce packaging is by coming up with new packaging designs that enable you to thin out the packaging while maintaining its strength and integrity.
An important note for marketers is to ensure you capitalise on the message you’re sending to consumers on how environmentally aware you are; showcase the efforts you are making towards the environment.
Replace
This is where innovation really kicks in. It’s time to start looking at alternative packaging to both pack and market your produce. These alternatives include compostables and biodegradables, as well as recyclable packaging such as cardboard.
The tomato category globally has been one of the first to adopt new packaging materials and formats. This is due mainly to the ease of handling the product, as well as the ability to automate the packaging process. Fresh from the Fruit Logistica trade show in Berlin, here are some examples of how the Three Rs are being applied in this category.
Cardboard Snacking cups and buckets
On-the-go packaging formats have been around for a few years now, specifically in the form of plastic cups and buckets. This year we are seeing a huge shift towards cardboard cups.
Utilising the cardboard format enables marketers to make full use of the artwork real estate, generating colourful, engaging shapes and designs. It also provides a platform to promote the use of a ‘better’ packaging choice.
Seeing is no longer believing
Growing consumer confidence in the quality of the fresh produce being used in pre-packs removes the need to have clear packaging, through which the product can be viewed. Again, this provides marketers with more freedom when it comes to developing eye-catching designs and messaging.
The evolution of the top seal
The top-seal trend has become an increasingly common way to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging. This trend is now evolving further, with the top-seal film now being applied to compostable and cardboard trays.
Top-seal re-seals are also growing in popularity, enabling customers to re-use these trays in the same way as a clamshell, allowing it to be opened and closed multiple times while still preserving the quality of the product and thereby extending the shelf life.
Special occasion marketing
We are increasingly seeing fresh produce packaging being used to mark specific occasions such as Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Kids are also being targeted.
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