Banana Importer Debuts Sustainable Wrap

In what the company said was a new and significant step toward reducing packaging, banana importer Fyffes has introduced new, sustainable and fully recyclable paper banding for use in wrapping its organic fair trade bananas in selected markets.

The move represents the outcome of an 18-month research and development period. The wrap-around paper band is made from 100% Kraft pulp as a more sustainable alternative to the plastic bags used widely within the sector. The new banding is fully compostable and sourced from certified Forest Stewardship Council approved sources. Based on estimates, Fyffes' initiative will result in a reduction of more than 12,500 pounds of plastic waste.

“We are very excited to introduce our new recyclable and compostable banana banding,” said Emma Hunt-Duffy, Fyffes Ireland's sales and marketing manager, in a release. “This is a significant step in realizing one of our sustainability strategic pillars—stewardship for the planet—and has created an opportunity for us to promote the sustainability message amongst our consumers.”

Fyffes, a Japanese-owned fruit and fresh produce conglomerate, based in Dublin, said it has placed an emphasis on sustainability and has established a vetting process for packaging suppliers while looking for quality water-resistant packaging able to withstand climatic and other varying features within the supply chain. Food-grade inks are used for the printing on Fyffes' new paper banding, while the adhesives used are plant-based, not plastic.