MONTEREY, Calif. — Over the last couple years, Starr Ranch Growers, the Wenatchee, WA-based fruit grower-shipper, has released two new sustainable packaging options—a recyclable plastic pouch bag and a recyclable corrugated consumer box.
With the sustainable tagline, “Starr Ranch is proud to care for our planet as carefully as we nurture our fruit,” the company prioritizes sustainability in all aspects of business, and its packaging options are part of this earth-friendly approach.
“At Starr Ranch we have pushed the envelope on sustainable packaging,” said John Cannon, Starr Ranch’s packaging and production manager. “Late in 2020, we introduced the HiC2 recyclable pouch bag to the marketplace, which received the #2 recyclable logo, replacing the more commonly used #5 and #7. We are excited to be on the cutting edge of sustainability and reducing plastics in the marketplace.”
With the sustainable tagline, “Starr Ranch is proud to care for our planet as carefully as we nurture our fruit,” the company prioritizes sustainability in all aspects of business, and its packaging options are part of this earth-friendly approach.
Starr Ranch’s new recyclable HiC2 pouch bag is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic. “When HDPE recycling is done the right way, you can help keep non-biodegradable waste out of landfills and help the environment,” said Dan Davis, director of business development for Starr Ranch. “Recycled HDPE plastics can be used to make plumbing pipes, plastic rope, children’s toys, and a vast range of other products. Also, it takes much less energy to create products from recycled plastics like HDPE than from new plastics, which helps reduce the use of fossil fuels.”
Starr Ranch’s recyclable corrugated cardboard consumer box was released in 2019 and is completely plastic free. It is available for all of Starr Ranch’s apple varieties, both conventional and organic.
“We signed up and are partnering up with How2Recycle to tell the recyclable story on each package and use their consumer-friendly recycling logos that help the consumer with the recycling details,” said Davis.
The consumer response to Starr Ranch’s new packaging options has been very enthusiastic. “We receive emails, messages on social media, and letters in the mail from consumers on a daily basis saying how excited they are to see our recyclable packaging in stores and praising the reduction of plastic associated with our products,” said Davis.
And consumers aren’t the only ones who are happy about Starr Ranch’s new packaging. “Our retailers are loving it as well because it also helps with their sustainable initiatives,” Davis said.
Established in 1934 by the late Paul “Tommy” Thomas in the heart of Washington’s apple country, Starr Ranch Growers began with just 15 farmers packing out of a single shed. Today, over 80 years later, Starr Ranch has multiple packing plant locations, and its fruit is harvested from more than 7,000 acres of orchards. The company’s mission is to deliver fresh, premium-quality fruit that consumers can feel good about putting on their tables.
— OPN