Since 1984, the McCormack family has nurtured crops on their cherished ancestral farm with a profound dedication to harmonising age-old farming wisdom with state-of-the-art horticultural innovations, to provide the finest, top-quality greens and herbs to the market.
Driven by the vision of a sustainable solution, McCormack Family Farms contacted Smurfit Kappa after discovering their water-resistant coatings video via LinkedIn, that showcased the remarkable properties of this ingenious solution. Their goal was crystal clear: to source a water-resistant, eco-friendly alternative to their imported wax-lined produce trays.
In a market predominantly dependent on imports, this leading Herb and Leaf Grower sought an innovative alternative to their current wax-lined produce trays. They wanted to find a local solution that would reduce their carbon footprint and provide a 100% sustainable alternative to wax-lined and PET coatings that made their current packaging unrecyclable.
Smurfit Kappa’s challenge was to engineer a resilient, corrugated produce tray, capable of withstanding moisture and preserving the tray’s contents. The Markham Vale site were able to achieve this through their pioneering water-resistant coating, which was applied as a post-print process.
The coating applied to the produce trays represents a versatile solution, seamlessly blending environmental responsibility with practical functionality. It’s not just biodegradable; it also bolsters the packaging’s durability, safeguarding the produce within and maintaining its freshness. Moreover, these coatings reduce the need for supplementary packaging materials such as plastic bags or wrappers, promoting an environmentally friendly and efficient approach to packaging produce.