06/23/08 Bio Packaging

Bio Packaging. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Our family does our best to be green. We recycle as much as possible but a visit to the produce aisle at the grocery store seems too much. Styrofoam and plastic packaging abounds. Now a company from Vancouver, Canada is coming to the rescue by using the cast off of the palm oil industry. BOASE: This material that we use for our packaging is a waste product from that industry. When I found out about this project to work on finding a use for this waste, I was all over it. That's Shannon Boase, President of Earthcycle who turns palm husks into recyclable packaging. The Malasian palm industry regularly burns the husks which creates a massive health risk. You may have already seen them in grocery stores. Boase says the packages break down easily. BOASE: In a back yard compost, depending on time of year and depending on if you are a good composter or not, I mean if you actually till it; you know if you are diligent about that it's probably about 80 days. Between 80 and 90 days Many fruit growers use the packaging and according to Boase, they welcome inquiries from producers on custom designs. In addition Earthcycle makes a variety of compostable products. BOASE: For example the landscaping/gardening sector we have some gardening seedling starter cups and some smaller plant cell trays that are going to be on the market by the end of the year and then other types of packaging what we call protein packaging for meat, fish, poultry. For more information visit their website at earthcycle.com. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.