Fresh produce marketer SanLucar wants to reduce the volume of plastic it uses “wherever possible”.
The company made the claim this week after it joined an Austrian campaign that aims to underline the importance of separating and recycling packaging waste.
Launched by ARA-Altstoff Recycling Austria, the initiative promotes the importance of the circular economy and the value of retaining and reusing materials that would otherwise be thrown away.
With the slogan ‘We want your packaging raw materials back’, it also highlights the active role that companies and individuals can play to protect the planet.
'At SanLucar, we know how crucial it is to preserve the nature,' comments Kathrin Ampferl, packaging director at SanLucar. “We therefore place a lot of emphasis on being respectful of the environment and ensure an optimal use of resources. Especially when it comes to packaging.”
The premium fruit and vegetable brand has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2011, and says it is committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Its research into new and environmentally friendly packaging concepts recently yielded a fully recyclable, natural paper bag, which it uses to sell grapes, stonefruit and tomatoes.
Its latest blueberry packaging, meanwhile, is made from 94 per cent FSC-certified paper, which is sourced from sustainable forests.
However, in order to preserve product freshness and shelf-life, the complete removal of plastic is not always possible.
That is true of SanLucar’s fresh-cut fruit range, for example, which is instead sold in recycled plastic packaging.
'It is absolutely essential that we all do our part and create partnerships with other organisations like ARA,” Ampferl adds. “Only then can we achieve global sustainable development.”
