Costa trials 100% recyclable paper bags for mandarins

Costa Group, Australia's leading horticultural company and a key supplier to food retailers, continues its commitment to sustainable packaging with the introduction of 100% recyclable paper bags for premium mandarins. This initiative follows the successful implementation of new paper packaging for Costa's premium table grapes.

Gilad Sadan, Creative Director of NAVI Co Global, collaborates with Costa in the development of sustainable packaging solutions. Instrumental in designing the bunch bag for Autumcrisp grapes, Sadan has previously partnered with the grapes team to create a fully recyclable grape punnet for curbside recycling.

The latest trial for mandarins represents an evolutionary step from the successful grape packaging. Craig Greenhalgh, National Sales and Operations Manager for Costa's Citrus Category, conceived the idea behind the new packaging.

While still in the trial stages, Sadan notes that the innovation has sparked discussions with retailers, presenting potential applications for other produce categories, including avocados.

Craig said: There’s really interesting cross pollination between the categories and we are using the learnings and applying them to different produce lines.

For the mandarins we had to find ways to seal the bag, which needed to be a set weight. From a consumer point of view there’s convenience of having the mandarins in a bag, but with no environmental impact.

Keeping very close to global and local consumer trends we use new product launches to tune into what consumers are looking for and what’s important to them. We received written feedback from consumers congratulating us on our packaging sustainability journey.

Costa remains committed to advancing sustainable practices within the horticultural industry. As this trial progresses, the company anticipates further positive impacts on packaging sustainability and environmental stewardship.