A BAG in a box solution could be the key to making potato crops more sustainable, according to Mike Stoke, an agronomist with biostimulants specialist Orion Future Technologies.
Orion has adopted this practice following the outbreak of the conflict between the USA/Israel and Iran, using it as a way to decrease its production costs by reducing the plastic needed to package its biostimulant products.
“The bag in a box reduces plastic use by 63%, which will help us to keep prices down and has knock-on benefits, including reduced storage and transport costs, which further brings down the carbon footprint of our products,” said Mike.
The bag in box also reduces the amount of air that flows back into the contents of the bag, giving the product a longer shelf life compared to when it was packed in hard plastics, he added, stating that it empties quickly, without ‘glugging’, and the design prevents air going back into the pack.
“For growers, the bag in a box is easier and cheaper to recycle and dispose of. It takes up less space and will also appeal to buying groups looking to promote sustainable credentials. The plastic bladder can be extracted, triple rinsed and recycled along with the cardboard outer box,” Mike said.
Mike is urging other manufacturers of fertilisation and nutrition products to follow suit.
“As a manufacturer of plant nutrition products, we have targeted more sustainable packaging as part of our overall desire to reduce unsustainable plastic consumption. While the bag in a box still uses plastic, it is a fraction of what has been used in the past and we see it as a big step in the right direction,” he said.
