Propak Industries has launched a new mono-material onion bag solution, developed, tested and validated with Mitolo Family Farms, designed to improve recyclability by removing the copper clip used in conventional onion pre-pack netting.
The pack has been developed for use on a Puma Packaging Machine for thermosealed p-packs, developed in partnership with REV Packaging Solutions in Italy and customised for Mitolo's operation in Virginia, South Australia.
Speaking to PKN at the recent Hort Connections, Propak Industries' Isaac Sandercock said the project was driven by a clear packaging challenge: simplifying the material structure of the onion pre-pack net.
"The main problem we were tasked with solving was removing the copper clip from the current onion pre-pack net," he said.
The existing format uses multiple consumables, including materials that require separate recycling streams. By contrast, the new pack is designed as a single-material structure, with the net, handle and tag all made from the same soft plastic material.
"The idea is that everything goes into soft plastic recycling," Sandercock said.
For Mitolo Family Farms, the project has been around three years in development, involving multiple rounds of machine testing, adjustment and refinement. John Tselekidis of Mitolo said the version now being implemented is the fourth generation of the technology, following extensive feedback from the company.
Mitolo is expected to be among the first companies in Australia to have the machines operational.
Developed by REV Packaging Solutions in Italy and customised for local operating conditions, the Puma system enables thermosealed p-packs that maintain the functionality of traditional onion net packs while eliminating the metal clip.
The shift away from the copper clip is expected to improve recyclability and support greater resource recovery by simplifying the pack's material composition.
For Propak, the collaboration demonstrates how machinery, materials and grower commitment can work together to address a practical packaging sustainability challenge.
Sandercock said the project also responds to a broader industry push towards more recyclable formats, particularly where consumers are unlikely to separate small packaging components correctly.
The new format is designed to make the disposal pathway simpler for consumers while helping growers and retailers work towards their packaging sustainability goals.
According to Propak, adoption of the P-Pack system could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 100 tonnes of CO₂-e annually compared with the previous format.
