New Eco-Friendly Packaging & Sustainability at PMA
October 2, 2009 - Anaheim, CA – Gills Onions’ exhibit at the PMA’s annual Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, October 2 – 5, will feature redesigned, eco-friendly PLA retail packaging to further their sustainability efforts.
“We created a smaller 7 Oz. size to give consumers more convenience and better value, to give retailers more turns and more profits, and to provide a more sustainable, responsible solution for fresh-cut produce marketing and sales,” said Nelia Alamo, Gills Onions Director of Sales and Marketing.
“While our customers and retail partners have been increasing their demands for green and sustainable products, Gills Onions has always been an environmentally-conscious pioneer in the fresh produce processing industry,” Alamo continued. “PLA packaging is just one of our sustainability efforts to reduce GHG emissions, conserve water, reduce energy consumption, protect valuable farmland, and reduce waste. Plus, the clear cups made of PLA material shows our products well and the design allows retailers to display and stack them very efficiently.”
Gills Onions’ packaging is made from eco-friendly, recyclable PLA material derived from plants to reduce fossil fuel use and Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. The packaging biodegrades when composted and can be used as a valuable soil amendment. The fresh-cut product line in PLA packaging includes: Diced Yellow Onions, Diced Red Onions, Sliced Red Onions, Diced Celery & Onions, USDA Certified Organic Diced Yellow Onions , and seasonally available Sweet Sliced Yellow Onions, and a Holiday Size (19 Oz.) Diced Celery & Onions.
Gills Onions most recent sustainability effort was the July launch of the AERS (Advanced Energy Recovery System) at their Oxnard facility – allowing them to convert 100% of their 150 tons of daily onion waste into ultra-clean, renewable energy and high-value cattle feed. This effort alone has reduced their GHG emissions by up to 30,000 tons per year – roughly equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of 5,000 cars. Gills Onions has produced a Sustainability Highlights Brochure that is available as a download on their website at www.gillsonions.com/sustainability.
“We’ve embarked on a number of sustainability initiatives in the last few years, and have learned many things. Most importantly, that saving resources actually saves money. This has allowed us to invest in sustainable packaging redesigns and capital expenditures that make us even more sustainable and efficient…allowing us to uphold our product quality and safety standards while delivering tremendous convenience and value to our customers,” Alamo concluded, “One of the ways we translate all these benefits to consumers is through the “Grower Direct” positioning displayed on the top label of all our new packaging. The bottom of the label also carries a mention of our Sustainability efforts and tells the consumer that the container is compostable and recyclable.”
Gills Onions is a 25-year old, family owned and operated grower and food processor with the most state of the art, progressive fresh onion processing plant in the world. In concert with Rio Farms and other entities, there are over 15,000 acres of farmland and 100,000 square feet of processing and warehouse facilities under their responsibility. Gills Onions is committed to continuous process improvement to positively impact the Air, Land, Water, Energy, and Communities they rely upon for their livelihood.
For more information, contact Nelia Alamo at 209-669-9625, neliaalamo@gillsonions.com.