Sustainable Packaging Options from Starr Ranch and Lipman Family Farms

Starr Ranch Offers Sustainable Packaging Options

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.

Starr Ranch's 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.” 

John Cannon, Packaging and Production Manager, Starr Ranch

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 plastic pouch bag

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 are excited to be on the cutting edge of sustainability and reducing plastics in the marketplace.” – John Cannon

“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.

Dan Davis, Director of Business Development, Starr Ranch

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. 

“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.” – Dan 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.

Starr Ranch's recyclable corrugated consumer box

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. 

Lipman Family Farms Expands Compostable Packaging Line

Last month, Lipman Family Farms launched the expansion of its compostable packaging line.

Lipman's new packaging meets the growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and is currently used for the company’s Grown True line of organic grape tomatoes, mini sweet peppers, mini cucumbers, and green beans.

Lipman Family Farms' compostable packaging

“Since the beginning, we at Lipman have dedicated our work to sustainable practices at every level of our supply chain,” said Sarah Miller, general manager of the Immokalee, FL-based company. “Our newest 100-percent compostable packaging is just one more step towards decreasing our footprint, and we are proud to introduce this new stride to retailers.”

“Since the beginning, we at Lipman have dedicated our work to sustainable practices at every level of our supply chain.” – Sarah Miller

The compostable packaging is shelf-ready with a clamshell design that ensures ease in stacking and increased efficiencies in the retail space.  

Lipman Family Farms' compostable packaging

“This packaging has been uniquely produced to offer visibility to the product while still being environmentally friendly,” Miller said. “The packs are plastic free and made from durable, compostable material, making them 100-percent backyard compostable for consumers to shop guilt-free and making them a desired product for both retailers and shoppers of conscious purchasing.”

A QR code is also available on each pack to educate consumers how they can dispose of the package in their own compost bins, helping them to reduce their environmental footprint in their own backyards.

Lipman Family Farms' compostable packaging

The Grown True line is cultivated on organic acreage across North America to ensure supply throughout the year. It is USDA certified organic and holds the highest standards of food safety.

A QR code is also available on each pack to educate consumers how they can dispose of the package in their own compost bins, helping them to reduce their environmental footprint in their own backyards.

“As the demand for organic continues to rise, we’re committed to providing consumers with the freshest produce in nature through our Grown True organic label here at Lipman,” said Miller.

Lipman’s roots date back to the ’50s when the company's founders set up a modest farming operation in Florida. Today, Lipman grows on thousands of acres of farmland across North America.

Lipman Family Farms' compostable packaging

The company also specializes in greenhouse-grown tomatoes and vegetables, with greenhouse operations in Canada and Mexico. Lipman’s seed-to-shelf supply chain control (research and development, farming, processing, repacking, and logistics and marketing) delivers the consistency and quality that has made the company a dependable source of fresh tomatoes and vegetables.

The Grown True line is cultivated on organic acreage across North America to ensure supply throughout the year.

Lipman’s farms are powered by its sustainability practices, allowing the company to calculate precisely the resources needed so that nothing goes to waste. Lipman also partners with a network of local farmers to provide quality produce year-round, helping to support the community and decrease the company's environmental footprint.