PLASTICS, PACKAGING AND WASTE

Drawing the line on plastic use
A new project to reduce plastic in pome-fruit packaging. By Grethe Bestbier.
As the pressure on producers and pack houses to use environmentally friendly practices increases, a group of researchers is asking how we can reduce the use of plastic in pome-fruit packaging, and will it influence fruit quality? Read more

Sustainable plastic manufacturing
The process, the challenges, and the alternatives. By Grethe Bestbier.
Plastic has received a bad reputation in recent years, but it’s still widely used. Read more

Past research on packaging options
Past and present project. By Dawie Moelich and Anna Mouton.
The Post-Harvest Innovation Programme and the Deciduous Fruit Producers’ Trust — now Hortgro — funded a project on internal packaging for Golden Delicious and Pink Lady apples, Bon Chrétien and Forelle pears, and Sapphire and Larry Ann plums from 2008 to 2010. Read more

Join the circular economy
How South African businesses can up their recycling game. By Grethe Bestbier.
A circular economy is one where everything is reused, and nothing is wasted. Read more

Put the brakes on decay
Effective fungicide application on stone fruit. By Anna Mouton.
Post-harvest decay of stone fruit can cause significant financial losses. Read more

Partying ways with plastic
Exploring collaborative solutions across value chains. By Anna Mouton.
“Why is plastic packaging so ubiquitous?” Read more