There is overuse, there is misuse, but plastic is also put to good use. From life-saving medical equipment to car parts which make vehicles more fuel efficient, plastic does have a positive role to play despite its poor reputation. Plastic is also used positively in the fruit & veg industry to help prevent food from decomposing before it reaches the dinner table.
With little other options available, plastic is used to sleeve delicate lettuce, protect squash-able tomatoes, and stop greens from wilting. We still work hard to use as little plastic as possible while ensuring you receive good quality produce. With that said, here are our plastic pledges:
If we can place it in the box loose, we’re going to! We have invested in good cardboard box packaging to help protect produce in transit so it doesn’t arrive pummelled.
As we buy produce directly from growers, and there is such a short amount of time between field and fridge, we will ask growers to send their produce to us without plastic packaging, knowing that it will still be fresh and having saved a plastic bag!
Due to food standards, most pre-cut items (cut pumpkins) are usually wrapped in cellulose or sometimes plastic. But when we can, we pack things like sprouts, shrooms & stone fruit into the paper bags.
What is compostable cellulose? It is a substance from a plant's cell wall, which is extracted from renewable plant material to produce the cellulose film, which is used to wrap the pre-cut veggies above.
Sometimes, produce may already be cut from the ground and wrapped in plastic (e.g. those items destined for the supermarkets). In this case, we figure it best to give it a home instead of both food and plastic ending up in landfill.
We will use plastic for items like delicate items like frilly lettuce, tomatoes and baby silverbeet to stop them from decomposing before reaching your fridge. All plastic is recyclable at soft plastic recycling stations! We promise to take time to carefully consider whether or not its use is necessary.
Dry weather, quirky crops, and plenty of good veg at risk of waste. Here’s why autumn’s the perfect time to rescue local produce.
Bendy carrots? Wilted greens? Sad veggies? Don’t chuck them! Revive, store & reinvent your produce with these simple, waste-free hacks.
Turn spotty bananas, wrinkly kiwifruit & citrus past their prime into delicious dried snacks with this how to guide!
This month’s Wonky Pantry is packed with rescued snacks, fresh produce, and pantry staples that deserve a second chance. Shop our Autumn rescues!
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