Costa is partnering with Navi Co Global in using Result Group’s EcoMark to replace fruit stickers with laser branding. At the Asia Fruit Logistic expo in Hong Kong, Costa’s avocados were on display with the Australian-made logo etched on the skin.
The EcoMark Natural Branding removes or causes a pigment change in only the outmost layer of the fruit or vegetable peel. The laser beam remains so close to the surface that fruit and vegetables are completely intact beneath their skin or peel, and shelf life is not impacted.
“This innovative new technology gives us the ability to laser etch the avocado without impacting the produce at all. It removes the need for the Price Look Up (PLU) sticker, which are mostly not recyclable. There are some compostable stickers, but they are expensive,” said Gilad Sadan, creative directive of Navi Co Global.
Sadan told PKN, “In this example, the collaboration is on the laser-etching project. We want to highlight the ability to remove the PLU stickers and replace them with laser etching data matrix codes. That will be done alongside a marketing-based campaign, including branding around the avocado to showcase the many benefits you can promote: taste, variety, versatility of use, use occasions, ripeness and many other images that can tell a story to consumers at a retail level.”
Michael Dossor, managing director for Result Group told PKN, “The aim is for this trial to serve as a successful model for eco-friendly fruit packaging, ultimately developing packaging solutions that are more environmentally friendly. This is expected to reduce the ecological footprint associated with fruit packaging, and promote environmentally responsible practices within the industry.
“The collaboration with Costa was born out of a shared commitment to sustainable packaging solutions, connecting Costa, Navico Global, and Result Group. We've previously worked together on numerous projects with Gilad Sadan, the managing director of Navico Global, and achieved outstanding results. His passion for sustainable packaging played a significant role in this collaboration,” he said.
Sadan said, “Michael Dosser and Result Group and I have known each other for many years, and have collaborated on projects in the past. We make a good team, that tunes into global trends and insights and have the ability to see how they can be adopted and implemented in the Asia Pacific region for domestic and export markets."
“We are still in the trial stages, but we think that has the potential to be a genuine replacement for PLU stickers which will be a win for the environment and our consumers,” Sadan concluded.
