Eco-Punnet is the latest innovation in banana packaging — a product-specific packaging solution, created by Pacific Coast Eco Bananas (PCEB), an Australian owned family business run by Frank and Dianne Sciacca, and Amcor.
The packaging needed to adequately represent PCEB’s new style of banana (identifiable by its colourful wax tip) that tastes better, is more visually-appealing and is grown with significantly reduced inputs of fertilisers and chemicals.
The banana punnets needed to be as environmentally-friendly as the fruit, as well as have a strong visual appeal.
Eco-Punnet complies with retailers’ guidelines on desired banana sizes and non-clustered fruit.
The patented Eco-Punnet is a family of revolutionary packaging solutions that facilitates the packing of four or six individual premium bananas.
The Eco-Punnet is made from recycled materials and is 100% recyclable.
It offers enhanced ripening, greater protection and presents to the consumer as an attractive and informative retail pack.
The construction eliminates the need for plastic inserts and wraps, as well as waxed corrugated shippers, benefiting both the environment and cost efficiencies.
It accommodates bananas of varying size, features a spring mechanism to hold the fruit in place, has sufficient strength to dramatically reduce the outer transport packaging and provides the marketing platform to promote Eco-Bananas point of difference to consumers.
When the project began it was not certain that single banana packing could be mechanised so completion of this project represents significant innovation.