Orora trials plastic-free cartons

Packaging giant Orora is trialling new 100 per cent fibre cartons for Pink Lady apples as the groundswell against plastic gathers pace, in good news for the paper and board printing industry.

Volumes of fibre-based packaging are expected to surge as the public turns away from products packaged in plastic.

Produced at the Orora factory in Heidelberg, Victoria, the six-pack apple carton is the result of a collaboration between Orora, Apple & Pear Australia (Apal), and Montague Fresh.

Orora said the cartons are made from paper, making them a plastic-free, recyclable solution "that looks fantastic in store". They support various print finishes, and feature a tamper-proof lock to ensure the apples remain in premium condition throughout the supply chain.

Orora offers a range of sustainable and plastic-free solutions for produce growers and food manufacturers; Simpson Farms in Queensland, for example, has moved from plastic to paper inserts for its avocado business, and employs Orora no-crush cartons and paper labels.

Orora last month entered into a binding agreement to sell its Australasian Fibre business to a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Paper, for an enterprise value of A$1.72bn.