Upward Farms launches recycled plastic packs for vertically grown organic microgreens

11 Nov 2022 --- Upward Farms has unveiled a recycled and resealable packaging design for its line of USDA-certified organic microgreens. The “world’s largest” organic vertical farming companies’ new design is now available at Whole Foods Market locations across New York and New Jersey, such as DeCicco’s & Sons, Westside Market, Union Market, Foodtown, Morton Williams, D’Agostino’s and Gristedes. 

The new packs provide a more environmentally sustainable offering for consumers, compared to the average greens clamshell model, driving a 38% reduction of plastic while being made with post-consumer recycled content. 

“Continuously reducing Upward Farms’ carbon footprint is a top priority for us, and our new packaging marks a significant milestone in that journey,” says Jason Green, CEO and co-founder of Upward Farms. “Upward Farms’ new packaging is made using post-consumer recycled PET (rPET), one of the only recyclable plastics.” 

Upward Farms combines modern vertical farming with the regenerative farming practice of aquaponics to produce ready-to-eat organic microgreen mixes and environmentally sustainably raised fish free from mercury, antibiotics or added hormones.

The new packs are driving a 38% reduction of plastic while being made with post-consumer recycled content.Open and close tech 
Functionality and consumer experience take center stage in Upward Farms’ new packaging, with sealed plastic trays that are stackable and easier to open and close than traditional clamshells, says the company. 

The open and close technology allows for an extended shelf life for microgreens. The clamshells are Upward Farms’ latest edition in delivering cradle-to-cradle environmental sustainability solutions.

“When designing the new packaging, we envisioned ourselves as the consumer and chose to focus on two things: clearer communication and making Upward Farms easy to identify among other packaged salads and microgreens,” says Eric Greifenberger, Upward Farms’ vice president of marketing and sales. 

“Implementing this resealable technology has allowed us to add value for our consumers by delivering more sustainable, effective packaging. Functionality is extremely important to us and our consumers, and through rigorous testing, we have designed a solution that is easily resealable, holds up to stacking in consumers’ fridges, and locks in freshness.”

The refreshed package label increases the surface area, allowing for greater communication of Upward Farms’ certifications including its USDA organic certification, New York State Grown & Certified, KOF-K Kosher certification, washed, ready-to-eat and pesticide free. 

Moving upwards 
Upward Farms says that since 2013, it has raised over US$154 million to support growth ambitions and fund expansion efforts into the Northeast of the US. One of the premier investments of funding was to create the world’s largest organic indoor vertical farm in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, coined Regional Farm One – anticipated to be operational in 2023.

At FachPack 2022, Südpack and SN Maschinenbau presented a fully recyclable packaging concept for PP and PE bags. The packaging’s advantage is the “excellent” machinability of the materials due to their broad sealing range, which results in a high level of process and packaging reliability. 

At the same time, the formation of the sealing layer ensures the simple and efficient in-line application of common resealing systems, such as zippers, available on the market for flat bags and doypacks.

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim

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