Between evolving consumer sentiment and increasingly wide-reaching legislation in several key markets, the long-term role for plastic packaging in the fresh produce aisle is in doubt.

While packaging undeniably offers utility in protecting and preserving products through the supply chain, the days of shrink film, oversized plastic bags, and non-recyclable plastic trays are surely over.

Plastics squeezed out by legislation and consumer sentiment

This paradigm shift is occurring across virtually every sector, and fresh produce is no exception. The produce sector currently relies heavily on plastic in all its forms to protect, preserve, and market goods as they move through the supply chain.

The French government has recently introduced legislation to address plastic in the fresh product aisle, targeting over 30 fruit and vegetable varieties in its landmark 2022 single-use plastic crackdown. Supermarkets in France are no longer permitted to sell many fresh produce products in plastic packaging, a ban mirrored by the Spanish government just one year later.

The legislative picture elsewhere is equally clear. India has banned all single-use plastics, while Canada and the UK are set to implement their own single-use plastic bans that target specific categories. The EU, meanwhile, is set to overhaul its Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) to reduce the environmental impact of packaging throughout its life cycle. It is expected to radically change the packaging that lands on the shelves of nearly half a billion European consumers when it eventually passes through the European Parliament.

Consumers, broadly, support attempts to make packaging more sustainable, and they are voting with their wallets. This is a pattern already being observed in the US, with more than half of US consumers being highly concerned about the environmental impact of packaging, while 60-70 percent said they would pay more for sustainable packaging across all end-use segments.

Forward-thinking growers and packers should take the lead from these significant global shifts – particularly those in states that have already made moves to ban certain plastic categories, such as California and New York.

Balancing sustainability with performance

It is important to remember among all of this, that sustainability does not merely mean swapping plastic for fiber-based packaging. Combating food waste is arguably the most important role of fresh produce packaging, as greenhouse gas emissions from food production dwarf those related to packaging. Legislators passing plastic packaging bans appear to agree – in France, for example, producers of certain fruits like apricots have been given extra time to find alternative solutions (although plastic is still expected to be wholly phased out by 2026) while avoiding an increase in food waste stemming from fruit spoiling or becoming damaged through the supply chain.

Fiber-based solutions must be at least as functional as traditional plastic produce packaging to meet the needs of the modern market. As a material, paper does not naturally possess the barrier qualities of plastic, so it requires an innovative approach that uses material science to balance plastic reduction with maintaining shelf life.

Achieving this requires a bespoke approach that looks at the needs of each product on a case-by-case basis. Solutions like the ProducePack™ Punnet tray, developed by Graphic Packaging International, provide that flexibility, making for an apt demonstration of the operational and sustainability benefits of a fiber-based solution.

The ProducePack Punnet tray is made from renewable plant-based fiber sourced from sustainably managed forests. If no barrier coating is needed, it can achieve up to a 100 percent reduction in plastic compared to a plastic tray (excluding the top seal film). For products where a barrier coating is needed, such as berries, the precise makeup of that barrier can be tailored to achieve the optimal properties required, while still keeping plastic use to a minimum.

It's a solution that meets the needs of today’s market — but importantly, it meets the needs of tomorrow’s market, too, in the likely event that state and federal governments begin to restrict plastic packaging for applications like fresh produce.

Fiber-based packaging can meet the demands of consumers, brands, retailers, and lawmakers, offering solutions that truly perform as we move toward a more sustainable future.