Cardboard Makes A Comeback In Watsonville Strawberry Industry

WATSONVILLE, CA — Sambrailo Packaging in Watsonville is working with the agriculture industry to help cut down on the heavy use of plastics in berry shipments. The company has partnered with Markon Cooperative in Salinas to test a new two-pound fully recyclable cardboard strawberry clamshell. The resulting "ReadyCycle" cardboard wonder is promising, with at least one big berry producer committed to introducing the container during this year's peak harvest season, according to a recent report in The Produce News.

Watsonville-based California Giant Berry Farms is working with Markon and Sambrailo, and has been using the cardboard container for shipments to its foodservice customers to gauge the packaging's viability. Some adjustments to the container have been made to protect the fragile berries, but overall tests have been successful. A Cal Giant executive admits there is a higher cost associated with the new container, but said the decision on packaging will ultimately lie with consumers and whether they are willing to pay a higher price for berries sold in fully recyclable cardboard versus status quo plastic, The Produce News reported. The cardboard container adds about $1 to the cost of strawberries, the report continued.

The berry packaging industry has evolved over the decades, and this latest development may be more than a passing fad. Anyone remember the green plastic mesh baskets strawberries were once sold in? Those little containers are occasionally found inside a flat of strawberries, but for the most part the green baskets are a thing of the past.

To read the full The Produce News report, click here.