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Vegpro International, Sherrington, Quebec, is switching packaging of its Fresh Attitude salads to 100% recycled and recyclable plastic containers from Cascades.
Baby lettuce grower Vegpro previously used virgin plastic in the packaging, according to a news release. The partnership offers custom-designed containers that improve airflow and prolong shelf life by limiting buildup of excess humidity, maintaining crispness longer.
The containers are made at the Cascades Inopak plant in Drummondville, Quebec.
“Since a semi-rigid package is necessary to protect our delicate baby lettuce, our challenge was to find a more ecological material than virgin plastic,” Gerry Van Winden, Vegpro International’s founder and CEO, said in the release. “We are proud to have met this challenge in collaboration with Cascades, thanks to the company’s expertise in eco-packaging design.”
Production of the new packaging has begun, and the transition will take place gradually, until early 2021.
“We are pleased to support Vegpro in achieving its sustainable development objectives,” Luc Langevin, president and chief operating officer at Cascades Specialty Product Group, said in the release. “This new packaging will give tons of plastic a second life, integrating them into the circular economy.”
A life cycle analysis of similar Cascades packaging by Groupe AGÉCO demonstrated that, compared to virgin PET, using 100% recycled PET reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of nonrenewable resources required to manufacture packaging, according to the release.
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