Australian packaging manufacturer Visy has developed a bespoke automated labelling system for its cardboard Enviropunnet, giving fresh produce growers and supermarkets another option for replacing plastic film and wrap.

The proprietary Enviropunnet overclose labelling system uses cardboard flaps and a paper label to secure fruit and vegetables inside the pack. According to Visy, this allows the punnet to protect produce without requiring the single-use plastic film commonly used to close fresh produce trays.

The system is intended for products including apples, pears, stonefruit and tomatoes and has been designed for integration into existing produce packing operations.

Replacing Plastic Film With Cardboard and Paper

Fresh produce packaging presents a particular challenge for plastic reduction.

Packaging needs to hold products securely throughout packing, transportation, supermarket handling and display while providing sufficient visibility and protection. Simply removing the plastic film from an existing tray is therefore not necessarily practical.

Visy’s approach changes the closing mechanism.

The Enviropunnet uses cardboard flaps to contain the produce, while the automated system applies a paper label over the pack to secure the structure.

“Thanks to our new labelling system, our Enviropunnets can now be plastic film and wrap free, while still protecting fresh fruit and veg,” said Chris Van Der Merwe, Visy’s group general manager for corrugated packaging.

Visy says the resulting packaging can be placed in kerbside recycling after use and recovered fiber can subsequently be used in new cardboard packaging.

Designed for Existing Produce Packing Lines

An important part of the development is its compatibility with existing packing infrastructure.

Visy says the Enviropunnet labelling equipment has been designed to allow packers to move from flow wrapping to overclose labelling without installing additional conveyors.

This addresses one of the practical barriers to packaging-material changes.

For growers and packhouses, replacing an established packaging format can involve more than purchasing a different tray. New materials may require changes to conveyors, closing equipment, line layouts and production procedures.

A packaging alternative that can operate within an existing line can potentially reduce the amount of equipment modification required during the transition.

The labelling system uses food-safe adhesives, while adhesive-free sections can be incorporated into the label design to prevent adhesive from contacting exposed produce.

Optional date coding and custom printing are also available, allowing the label to perform identification and communication functions in addition to physically closing the pack.

Multiple Formats for Fresh Produce

Visy has developed the system around several Enviropunnet configurations.

These include a 1 kg format for apples, pears, stonefruit and tomatoes and a 750 g format for pears, stonefruit and tomatoes.

The system can also accommodate 500 g to 1 kg tray packs for premium apples.

Supporting different pack sizes is particularly relevant for produce operations handling multiple varieties, grades and retail formats on the same site.

Instead of treating fiber packaging as a single-format replacement for plastic, the system provides different configurations while retaining the same basic cardboard-and-label closing principle.

Australian Production Supports Local Supply

Visy also emphasizes the domestic supply chain behind the Enviropunnet.

The company says board used for the packaging is manufactured in Wodonga, Victoria, with the Enviropunnets assembled in Shepparton.

For produce growers and supermarkets, local packaging production can be relevant because fresh produce programs frequently operate within seasonal harvesting and packing windows, making packaging availability and lead times important operational considerations.

Visy has also continued investing in its Australian packaging network, including a recently opened packaging hub in Tasmania serving agricultural and food producers.

Fiber Packaging Moves Beyond Material Substitution

The Enviropunnet development illustrates a broader challenge facing fiber-based packaging.

Replacing plastic is not simply a matter of changing the material. The alternative packaging still needs to perform within existing filling, packing, logistics and retail systems.

For fresh produce, this means considering the punnet, closure method, adhesive, labelling system and packing machinery as one packaging system.

Visy’s solution addresses this by combining a cardboard punnet with an automated paper-label closure rather than requiring plastic film to provide the final containment function.

The commercial question will ultimately depend on whether the system can deliver the required packing speed, produce protection and operating economics across different fresh produce applications.

But the development demonstrates how plastic reduction in produce packaging is increasingly moving beyond material substitution toward redesigning the complete pack and the machinery used to close it.

Last Updated on 25/08/2026 by Jota Machinery