Walmart is considering a return to corrugated paper cartons starting with apples, citrus and stone fruit.According to a letter sent this summer to suppliers, among the reasons for the change, originally scheduled for early September, is improved sustainability.
Whether the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer’s decision to return to paper cartons is final seems uncertain.
Apparently to give grower-shippers time to obtain supplies of the paper cartons, a subsequent July 27 letter from three Wal-Mart Stores Inc. executives, Michael Cochran, senior director of produce; Craig Carlson, senior director of produce; and Chet Rutledge, director of packing, delayed the transition until mid-October and provided additional reasons for the switch.
Walmart declined to comment further on the letter, which says it is “conducting a series of in-market trials” and the change will provide better product identification, educate consumers, improve category navigation and product selection.
Walmart turns up heat on sustainability goals
Walmart appears to be stepping up efforts to measure sustainability among its produce suppliers and is using some tools developed by the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops.
In a recent presentation to some industry members at the 2011 Sustainable Food Lab Leadership Summit in late June near Portland, Ore., officials with Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart said it is looking at what types of data to collect with an expanded pilot program for measuring produce sustainability.
Industry sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the retailer indicated it will ask top producers in its global food sourcing network to complete a Sustainable Produce Assessment this year.
A Walmart spokesman declined to comment.
Source: The Packer
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