TAMPA, FLA. — Monterey Mushrooms continues to raise the bar on recyclable packaging.
At the Southeast Produce Council (SEPC)’s Southern Exposure on March 9, the company showcased its latest rPET tills made with near-infrared (NIR) sortable material.
Not only are the new tills made from 100% post-consumer recycled material from North America, but they are also have a particular coloring that makes sorting them in a recycling facility easier, said Larissa Rice, regional sales manager at Monterey Mushrooms.
Rice explained that recycling facilities in the United States have significant operational problems, and while many people think clear plastic would be more sustainable, it actually uses more resources.
“The recycling rate in the United States is 29%, and the recycling rate in North America as a whole is 37.8%,” the company said. “Recycling centers play a vital role in transforming plastic waste into reusable materials. However, the sorting and processing of plastics can be challenging due to variations in composition and color. There’s a lot of confusion out there among consumers about what can be recycled. All rPET materials can be recycled, but the problem is that our nation does not have the infrastructure to do so.”
While the amount of plastic waste in the United States continues to increase but the recycling rate remains low, Monterey Mushrooms said it asks policymakers the question, “What actions can be taken to facilitate a shift towards a more circular economy, including innovation and investment in manufacturing and recycling capabilities?”
Source: Monterey Mushrooms “In the 1980s, Monterey Mushrooms revolutionized the retail industry by introducing pre-packaged mushrooms,” said Bruce Knobeloch, vice president of product development and marketing at Monterey Mushrooms. “Since then, the mushroom industry has been repurposing colored rPET, such as opaque blue, opaque green, and black rPET plastics, to give them a new life. We believe using clear rPET is wasteful and a regressive step for our industry.”
The company said the new black alternative tills, which will begin to roll out in April, will have a hue that varies between blue, green, purple, and black, depending on the color of the base material that is being recycled.
“By choosing black alternative rPET with NIR sortable colorant, we're not just packaging mushrooms; we're packaging a greener future,” Knobeloch said.
Sustainable Mushroom Packaging: Recycled PET With NIR Sortable Colorant For A Greener Future
