Monterey Mushrooms

BIODEGRADABLE CORRUGATED FORMED TRAYS

Monterey Mushrooms, the largest fresh mushroom producer in the United States, takes social responsibility seriously.

The company was eager to improve its brand identity and say goodbye to the ubiquitous Styrofoam trays that mushrooms had been packaged in for years. The ideal new packaging solution would be attractive, be competitively priced, be recyclable and biodegradable, suit the company's full line of mushroom products, and resist produce-aisle moisture while retaining breathability. No problem!

Everett’s team worked with Monterey Mushrooms to create a moisture-resistant barrier to add to recyclable paperboard. We had to create a barrier that would not keep the material from degrading in conventional compost. We achieved this goal by inventing a proprietary barrier coating and investing in new equipment. As a result, Everett received the Paperboard Packaging Council’s 2012 Eco Excellence Award, and Monterey Mushrooms was awarded with the Produce Marketing Association’s 2012 Impact Award for Excellence in Packaging.

Consumers love the recyclable trays, as evidenced by rapid sales growth. In addition, the new packaging has kept 2,510 Styrofoam trays out of landfills each year. Where is the next piece of Styrofoam that we can replace?

Client:
Sustainable supermarket packaging

Market:
Food and Beverage

Package Type:
Biodegradable corrugated formed trays