Plastic Wrapping Going Organic

Purefresh Organic, supplier of 80 per cent of the organic produce sold in New Zealand supermarkets, is introducing biodegradable plastic packaging this week in an attempt to cut down the environmental impact of its otherwise eco-friendly fare.

30/07/07 Organic fruit and veg is considered an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional produce, but plastic packaging is required by the supermarkets to track sales, and by the producer to ensure customers know what they are buying is indeed organic. Purefresh Organic, supplier of 80 per cent of the organic produce sold in New Zealand supermarkets, is introducing biodegradable plastic packaging this week in an attempt to cut down the environmental impact of its otherwise eco-friendly fare. Anna Aloma, general manager of the Fresh Direct division that celebrated its 10th anniversary last week, said the plastic would break down within 18 months rather than 150 years. "I hope this will bring us a little bit closer to lowering the environmental impact of our organic product on the supermarket shelves," said Aloma, general manager for eight years. Although Purefresh had been supplying New Zealand supermarkets for a decade, the segment was still viewed as the "new kid on the block" which faced challenges such as convincing other parts of the organic sector that their product was really the real thing. She said the commonly cited figure that people were prepared to accept a 20 per cent premium for organic produce was an "urban myth", and that the true figure varied from 10 per cent to over 100 per cent, depending on the product.