As a follow up to my previous post, The FruitGuys – Changing the World One Apple at a Time, I wanted to showcase what I feel is a significant achievement in the world of eco-friendly packaging. Not only are The FruitGuys dedicated to helping people live healthier lives, but they’re also concerned about leaving the environment with something to look forward to. So without further ado, I present you with the Fruit Box!

So what’s so special about the Fruit Box you ask? Well, it is 65% post-consumer recycled goodness, and growing! The FruitGuys founder Chris Mittelstaedt states, “I’m very excited about the Fruit Box because we’ve worked very hard and it’s taken us a long time to develop it. It’s a project that I would never consider finished and I think it’s going to be a constantly evolving process. We started out with the idea that we wanted to ship fruit in a box that was more environmentally friendly than anything else that’s being done.” Create an environmentally friendly box they did!

For starters, the cardboard used is between 65% and 75% post-consumer recycled cardboard and the ink used for printing is a soy based, water soluble, bio-degradable ink. In an effort to stay away from traditional petroleum based polypropylene foam; corn foam was used for the insulation and padding of delicate fruits, which is a plus because the corn foam dissolves into a non-toxic cornstarch liquid when held under running water. Unfortunately, the corn foam is getting harder to acquire so future plans include the use of a pulp recycled shredded paper for insulation and padding. Structural strength was also addressed by utilizing a flap and fold system to eliminate the need for non-biodegradable adhesives.

Yet as Chris mentioned before, the Fruit Box is a project that will continue to evolve. The next iteration of the Fruit Box is currently in development as The FruitGuys have purchased a machine that will allow the use of a vegetable based biodegradable glue to hold the box together. Not only will this add structural strength, but it will also cut down on the amount of cardboard used by 1/3 since the flap and fold system will no longer be needed. Look for the post-consumer recycled cardboard percentage to increase as more vendors come online with better technologies, products, and offerings.

My hat goes off to Chris and The FruitGuys, for it is innovative individuals and companies such as these that help keep other environmentally friendly suppliers striving to create better and more sustainable products.

Sincerely,
The Closet Entrepreneur

And if you missed Chris Mittelstaedt’s original interview about The FruitGuys, you can view it here:
The FruitGuys – Changing the World One Apple at a Time

» This entry was filed under Case Studies and tagged with: environment, fruitguys, recycling