Red Sun Farms develops new recyclable packaging

KINGSVILLE- Red Sun Farms of Kingsville has locations across Canada, Mexico, and the US, focusing on cultivating cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes.

Red Sun Farms has been an industry leader in sustainable agriculture, closely working with packaging suppliers to develop new and sustainable options.

Environmental impact and sustainability are important factors at Red Sun, from the growing process to packaging, shipping and finally, to the customer.

For over six years, Red Sun Farms has been developing recyclable packaging, including peppers packaged in a Polypropylene (PP) flow wrap which, is a recyclable material if the labels are removed.

Red Sun’s snacking tomatoes are packaged in plastic bowls and clamshells that range between 60-90% recyclable content.

Six years ago, Red Sun was the first to launch their 10 oz organic grape tomatoes packaged in a fiber pint, which is a recyclable/compostable option that reduces plastic use by over 90%. This package captured an innovation award in Berlin, in 2019 and is quickly achieving success across the globe. To date this has avoided the equivalent of 7.5 million units of plastic on this variety – the same weight at 20 elephants.

Some of Red Sun Farms new sustainable packaging.

Last year, Red Sun announced they were transitioning their Organic Peppers, TOV’s and Cucumbers with a backyard compostable PLU label. This option allows for landfills to be avoided and encourages consumers to compost the pepper stem and PLU in their backyard composters.

Red Sun Farms is now introducing its newest sustainable solution – SustainLabel!® from Yerecic. This new technology developed by Yerecic includes washaway technology and has passed Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Critical Guidance testing.

“By separating cleanly from PET flake and floating during the recycling wash process, Sustain- Label!® constructions positively contribute to the recycling stream by increasing the availability of food grade rPET. Yerecic Label also utilizes 100% recycled content cores for all label rolls and a targeted 70% PCR in corrugated”, said Elizabeth Yerecic of Yerecic labels.

Themedium change also created the perfect opportunity for a brand refresh across Red Sun’s entire portfolio of packaging.

“The investment of this new technology demonstrates our continued commitment to delivering sustainable solutions to our customer, while improving our product visibility & transparency” states Carlos Visconti, CEO of Red Sun Farms USA & Canada Operations. “Our graphic refresh places the produce at the center of our design.”