Plastics: the unexpected ally

"We live in complex times, when plastic packaging is an enemy to be fought. There is no need to hide the fact that plastic packaging is part of our culture and therefore a difficult material to replace with alternative materials that are cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. Certainly, one of the problems is the excessive use of packaging made of different materials, which makes it difficult to separate," says Franco Locati, Sales Manager of Girò Italia.

Pictured: Franco Locati, Girò Italia Sales Manager, and Laura González, Gruppo Girò Northern Italy Sales Manager.

"Our company, which specializes in this sector, is doing its part with major investments in research into new cutting-edge technologies that are aimed at environmentally sustainable choices. In particular, we are aiming to reduce the weight of the plastic used in the fruit and vegetable packaging segment."

"Today," explains Franco Locati, "Girò is able to pack 2 kg of potatoes or oranges with 9/10 grams of plastic. For comparison, a 1.5-liter bottle of water weighs about 35/38 grams. I would also like to add, and this is no small thing, that to achieve this result we use ultralight materials made of mono-material and 100% recyclable plastic. In addition, a major milestone was the replacement of the usual mesh net of the Ertbag or Ultrabag type packs with a woven mesh that weighs up to 70% less. This achievement also makes it possible to rebalance the ratio between packaging costs and product costs, to the benefit of the end consumer."

"In recent years," explains Laura González, Sales Manager for Gruppo Giró in Northern Italy, "we have become aware of the problem, even though the fruit and vegetable sector is already the most virtuous in terms of the ratio of grams of plastic to kilograms of packaged product. This is why, for several years now, we have been actively trying to develop alternative materials that can meet the needs of certain market niches."

"In this regard, we have been developing 100% certified compostable packaging for years. However, we also have an alternative packaging made of 100% cellulose in our product range. This is always in line with a philosophy of moving towards the lightest possible materials on the environment. In this way, we have been able to meet all market requirements, even the most demanding."

Founded in 1925 in Badalona, in the industrial area of Barcelona, Gruppo Giró is highly specialized in the packaging of fruit and vegetables. The Group was a pioneer in net packaging and is recognized as a world producer, with five production plants in Spain, one in the United States and one in France, and several subsidiaries in the United States, Mexico, Germany and Italy. It has a widespread presence on five continents through its network of distributors.