The Fresno, CA-based paper converting company is investing in linerless label technology that maintains the recyclability of the TrayCycle line, while boosting the opportunity to turn the entire container — valuable real estate — into a marketing tool to build brand awareness. The company also offers TraySeal, a box with a poly film on the inside; the top film can display printed graphics.
Tal Cloud, president and owner of Paper, Pulp and Film, said the containers have thinner walls than corrugated, but still protect fruits and vegetables as they make their way through the supply chain.
“Plastic, in a lot of ways, is bulletproof, and produce needs protection,” Cloud said. “But ours will perform, and you have much more advertising opportunities with our boxes for brand awareness. You don’t have that with a small clamshell.”
The Nobac linerless label application equipment, manufactured and distributed by United Kingdom-based Ravenwood Packaging, is expected to arrive by December. An array of fresh produce packed in containers with the linerless label has been marketed at numerous retail chains, primarily in Europe. Ravenwood Packaging credits the growing interest in the technology to hot-button issues that include:
• Sustainability — Linerless labels don’t have backing paper or liners, generating less waste.
• Productivity — Fewer roll changes are necessary.
• Branding opportunities — The seamless, wrap-around look is visually appealing and creates positive impressions.
Cloud has been preparing for the equipment’s arrival by meeting with representatives from different levels of the supply chain, including retail buyers and packer-shippers. Marketers will also benefit from learning about the potential for graphics and consumer messaging on the labels, he said. He sees improved marketability for many fresh items, including clementines, avocados, apples, pears, tomatoes, Bell peppers and onions.
“I just had an apple grower that had some smaller fruit, and they had a lot of it,” Cloud said. “They wanted to try to market it in a more unique way, so they’re doing one of our boxes for apples.”
The company’s trays come with a bonus for retailers, he said, by reducing shrink when compared to bulk produce displays.
“It’s not getting beat up when people drop it or look at it. It’s just one-touch fruit from the packinghouse to the customer’s hand,” Cloud said. “And there are marketing opportunities, explaining the fruit QR codes and UPC codes that are easy for the consumer to scan, is another reason why people like this product.”
Cloud’s goal is to provide customers with multiple “better mousetraps” when choosing packaging. A critical component is a cost-effective solution, and although it’s true that plastic packaging is typically cheaper than fiber boxes, Cloud said that TrayCycle and TraySeal options are a more sustainable option than other alternatives. “It’s a win-win for everybody in the supply chain,” said Cloud, who spent three years perfecting the TrayCycle and TraySeal containers.
