8 Different Types of Produce Packaging
(and the pros and cons of each)
You may know what crops you’d like to grow…but how should you package them? Every farmer has preferred produce packaging types — and a journey to figuring out exactly what they are. We’re exploring 8 of the most popular methods of vegetable packaging for Freight Farmers and growers beyond the shipping container farming industry, and the customer segments they’re best for.
Read on for the pros and cons of these produce packaging types:
Plastic clamshells
Compostable clamshells
Plastic bags
Compostable bags
Paper bags
Bands and ties
Bins
Boxes
Plastic Clamshells
You’re likely familiar with clamshells, though you may not have known what they were called. Related to shellfish only in their hinged design, clamshells are a common packaging method for herbs and tender hydroponic lettuces with the roots still attached. Plastic clamshells are great for selling to grocery stores and at farmers markets.
Freight Farmer Eeden Farms uses plastic clamshells to pack up spring mix.
Pros:
The plastic shell of a clamshell does a great job of protecting your crops from being bruised or damaged.
Clear packaging allows shoppers to easily view your produce and see for themselves how amazing it is.
The flat surface of the clamshell offers a convenient space for you to display your label — all you need is a branded sticker.
Plastic keeps the moisture in, so that your product stays fresher longer.
Most clamshells can be recycled.
Cons:
Plastic, especially for our environmentally-conscious farmers and customers, can be offputting.
Typically single-use packaging, this means a continual cost for your business.
Compostable Clamshells
Similar in design to plastic clamshells, this is a compostable alternative made from plant-based fibers. Consider using compostable clamshells for selling at farmers markets.
A compostable clamshell. (Image credit: Be Green Packaging)
Pros:
The hard shell of the clamshell protects your crops from bruising or damage.
You can easily mark the packaging with a stamp or sticker for brand visibility.
These clamshells can be recycled and composted.
Cons:
The fiber material of the clamshell absorbs moisture, which can cause greens to go limp faster than other options.
An opaque material means that shoppers will not be able to see your product, which is inherently one of your best marketing tools. It is therefore not a great option for markets where customers have choice and do not already know your brand (like supermarkets). If you’re selling to sales channels like farmers markets, consider displaying samples of your produce to counter this downside.
This is single-use packaging.
Plastic Bags
The ubiquitous produce packager, plastic bags are an option that you and your customers will be familiar with. Plastic produce bags are great for all sales channels: farmers markets, grocery stores, CSAs, and even restaurants (depending on the size of the bag)!
Microgreens in plastic bags. (Image credit: Bear Creek Organic Farm)
Pros:
Again, clear packaging allows shoppers to get a look at your produce and see just how delicious and fresh it looks.
You can easily affix a branded sticker to the outside of the bag.
On a per-unit basis, plastic bags are the cheapest packaging option you’ll find.
Plastic traps moisture, keeping your produce fresher for longer.
A variety of plastic bags are available, including those with small perforations for those greens that benefit from more breathability.
Typically sold as a roll, these are convenient and require minimal storage space.
Cons:
Most plastic bags are not recycled.
This is a single-use packaging method, and therefore an ongoing cost for your business operations.
While plastic bags do keep your produce fresh, they do not protect delicate leafy greens from being bruised or crushed. To counter this, some farmers make sure to seal their bags with air (like a balloon) for extra cushion.
Compostable Bags
Typically recognized by their greenish hue or slight opacity, these biodegradable bags are similar in appearance to plastic bags and offer many of the same benefits, but are a more environmentally-conscious option, made from corn-based plastic or a similar plant derivative. Again, these are a great option for farmers markets, grocery stores, CSAs, and restaurants alike.
Wiseacre Farms, a Freight Farm in the Chicago Area, packages their kale in compostable bags.
Pros:
Compostable produce bags are a more sustainable option than plastic.
You can easily label these bags with a sticker for brand visibility.
While slightly more expensive than plastic, these compostable bags are still a highly cost-effective option.
Typically sold as a roll, these are convenient and require minimal storage space.
Cons:
Since these bags are slightly tinted and not 100% clear, produce is slightly less visible than it would be in a standard plastic bag.
Some compostable produce bags can only be composted using industrial methods (not by the backyard composter).
Some farmers have found that these bags can cause produce to degrade faster than plastic options.
Paper Bags
A beautifully rustic option, these earthy-looking bags can also contribute to your brand image. Farmers typically only use these for farmers markets or CSAs.
Nanue’s Farm packages lettuce from their Freight Farm in paper bags stamped with their iconic logo.
Pros:
Using non-plastic packaging shows your business’ dedication to sustainability.
Paper bags are both recyclable and compostable.
You can easily label paper produce bags using a sticker or a stamp.
A stiffer material than plastic, this bag offers some protection from bruising and crushing to your greens.
Cons:
Paper does not preserve your greens as well as some other options. The material absorbs moisture from your plants, and will likely cause your produce to wilt faster than an airtight container or bag.
Because shoppers cannot see your produce through the paper bag, this is not an ideal option for markets where customers have choice and do not already know your brand (like supermarkets). In customer segments like farmers markets, consider displaying samples of your produce to counter this downside.
Once again, this is a single-use option.
Bands & Ties
Perhaps the most minimal packaging there is, rubber bands, twist ties, or knotted twine can be utilized to easily bundle larger leafy greens and herbs still attached to the stalks. Bands and ties are typically used for farmers markets and CSAs.
Rogue Lettuce bundles their Swiss chard with rubber bands.
Pros:
Produce shines in this option, which allows shoppers to see the fullness of your leaves of kale and smell the scent of your sage.
A highly minimalist packaging option, this produces less packaging waste than other methods.
For hardy crops like swiss chard and kale, which are stronger and slower to wilt, this packaging presents everything the leaves need and nothing extraneous.
Cons:
Bundling is not viable for all crops. It does not present any protection against wilting, bruising, or tears, so it’s not as strong an option for delicate crops such as lettuces. Additionally, smaller leaves such as arugula and spinach cannot be bundled together in this manner.
It can be harder to label crops when they’re bunched together. In order to affix your branding, you’ll have to consider something like a dangling tag.
Produce typically decays faster in the area bound by ties; consumers will have to remove ties to prevent early spoilage.
Bins
Durable plastic bins can be another great bulk packaging option — especially for delivery to restaurants, campus dining halls, wholesalers, and CSA customers.
At Auburn University, students bulk harvest lettuces into bins for delivery to the campus dining hall.
Pros:
These bins are reusable and will last you a long time.
You can harvest in bulk without having to individually package small quantities of greens.
Some bins are collapsible, making for easy storage when not in use.
Cons:
Bins are not a viable packaging option for most customer segments.
Boxes
Cardboard boxes can be a great option for bulk packaging, restaurant deliveries, or CSAs. You may also be able to find small paper boxes that can be used to package smaller portions of crops.
Hydroponic lettuce packaged in a cardboard box.
Pros:
Cardboard is ultra-recyclable.
This saves time and money, since you won’t have to worry about individually packaging crops.
Waxed or plastic-lined cardboard boxes can be reused.
Cons:
Moisture from your crops can make an unlined box soggy, potentially causing it to break.
In the case of a CSA with a variety of vegetables, delicate greens and herbs won’t have protection and could be crushed by other contents of the box.
A more porous material, cardboard will not prevent your greens from wilting.
Unless waxed or plastic-lined, this is likely a single-use packaging material.
These are just 8 of the most common vegetable packaging options.
So many exist in between (like plant-based cellophane, wax paper sleeves, and compostable containers with plastic lids for visibility). Remember: explore your options and choose what packaging method aligns best with your business model, budget, values, product, and the customers you’re targeting.
Be creative! If you sell at a farmers market, perhaps you can harvest your produce in bulk into big bins, price your crops by weight, and let customers put their purchases into their own containers. Perhaps you can opt for unbranded, cheap packaging and offer branded totes for purchase so your label is visible and reused! There’s room for flexibility.
As always, our team is happy to help talk out the details.
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