A Grim Outlook for Sustainable Produce Packaging

The push for sustainable packaging in the produce sector appears to be faltering, as significant barriers such as consumer apathy and cost continue to hinder progress. This sentiment was echoed by industry participants at the 2024 Organic Produce Summit held in Monterey, California.

Rachel Irons, co-founder and CEO of Boulder, Colorado-based Nude Foods Market, which primarily uses returnable glass jars for packaging produce, highlighted the challenges of consumer behavior. “Recycling is a big ask and a big behavior change for consumers,” she noted. “A behavior change must take time, and people do not like to change.”

The quest for a sustainable mindset within the produce industry is indeed a complex challenge. Naomi Sakoda, director of product portfolio for Driscoll’s Inc., a Watsonville, California-based berry grower, pointed out that while consumers claim to prioritize sustainability, it often falls low on their list of purchasing criteria. “It will take time, and maybe a generation, for people to make a shift,” she said.

Furthermore, maintaining product freshness and quality remains paramount, as these are the top drivers for consumer purchases. Bruce Taylor, vice president of organic for Earthbound Farm, a Salinas, California-based supplier of fresh produce and frozen fruits and vegetables, emphasized the need for sustainable packaging to be cost-effective if it hopes to gain traction in the mainstream market. He stated, “Consumers will vote with their dollars. We must ensure that we are developing solutions based on how shoppers make decisions, rather than trying to convince them to shop the way we want to sell things.”

Despite discussions around the benefits of eco-friendly packaging and the introduction of new designs, an industry-wide shift remains a distant prospect. Kevin Kelly, CEO of Union City, California-based Emerald Packaging, a flexible packaging provider, expressed concern over the current state of recycling in the U.S. “We are so far away from having a recycling system that is legitimate compared to Europe; it is pathetic,” he said. “The idea of having a national program is far away.”

He also noted that sustainable packaging often remains more theoretical than practical due to high costs. “Who is going to absorb the cost of a compostable package that is ten times more expensive than flexible packaging? Plastics are here to stay because finding suitable replacements will be challenging.”