December 5, 2019 (Ottawa, ON) – The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is pleased to announce the release of a technical report entitled “A landscape review of plastics in the Canadian fresh produce sector” developed by Value Chain Management International (VCMI), and subsequent roadmap addressing plastic packaging in the produce industry. Both documents are outputs of the CPMA Plastics Packaging Working Group.
The CPMA Plastics Packaging Working Group was established in May 2019 and convened its first meeting shortly thereafter to begin the process of identifying a path forward to address the use of plastics within the produce sector, identify efforts already undertaken by industry, determine best practices, and develop an industry-supported roadmap to maintaining food quality and safety while reducing the environmental impact of plastics.
The Technical Report details the results of months of research on Canadian and global plastic use, focusing on the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain’s impact. The purpose of the study was to aid the development of a pragmatic roadmap that will assist the produce industry to navigate the highly complex, multifaceted topic of utilizing plastic packaging in the most economically and environmentally responsible means possible over the short, medium and long term. This roadmap is now available for public viewing on the CPMA website.
“These publications are a manifestation of CPMA’s efforts and vision for a green economy that identifies concerns around fragmented systems, unnecessary and problematic plastics, the benefits of plastics when used within the appropriate system and the need to reduce food waste and ensure food security in our efforts around sustainable packaging,” said CPMA President Ron Lemaire. “Together with our members and partners across the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain, and with our colleagues throughout the food system, we hope to be a catalyst for positive and viable change that enables businesses to thrive, communities to flourish and consumer preferences and demands to be met.”
Direct links to the published documents can be found here:
