Tasmanian salmon farmer switches to cardboard packaging in a move estimated to save 150,000 polystyrene boxes from landfill each year.
Tasmanian salmon producer Petuna chief executive Ruben Alvarez said the new cardboard boxes for the East Devonport-based company’s Atlantic salmon were made from sustainably sourced, paper-based materials. Petuna is owned by Sealord, the market leader in the frozen fish and ambient seafood categories in New Zealand, and a key brand in the Australian market.
According to a story in The Advocate, the cardboard boxes, developed by fibre packaging business Opal, will replace expanded polystyrene products used for whole fish packaging and transport.
Kerbside recycling does not take expanded polystyrene, which mostly ends up as landfill. Petuna and Opal said the Opal product contained more than 55 per cent recycled paper and was recyclable in Australia and New Zealand.
“Once fully implemented, the new packaging will not only significantly decrease our contribution to landfill, but it will also reduce our carbon dioxide emissions from truck movements by 90 per cent,” Alvarez said.
“Petuna is committed to producing the highest quality, sustainably sourced salmon and trout, which means ensuring we are sourcing the most environmentally-responsible products available, including our packaging.
“This is a critical requirement of our Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) Four Star Certification, which is globally recognised and benchmarked internationally.
“This top-tier accreditation means every step in our production chain – from hatchery and marine farms to feed mills and processing plants – are certified to comply with the highest Best Aquaculture Practices standards.”
