Most of the fruit in the Singaporean market is imported from North America and Southeast Asia. Fruit is usually transported as loose goods and then packaged in Singapore to meet the requirements of specific retailers. Eastern Green Marketing Pte Ltd is a company specialized in custom-made packaging for retailers. Spokesperson Tan introduced the current market conditions and fruit packaging trends.
Top seal packaging is often seen in European and North American markets, but this type of packaging is not very common in Singapore. According to Tan, "Singapore primarily packages fruit in plastic boxes or plastic bags. That is because the Asian market is quite conservative and companies are slow to adopt new packaging methods. They use a lot of plastic. In recent years, however, a number of retailers have begun to adopt an environmentally-friendly business attitude. Some of our customers are actively seeking environmentally-friendly, efficient packaging solutions."
Tan further explained that the company is seeking more sustainable packaging solutions without giving up on the efficiency of their packaging products in the protection of fruit. The company hopes to become a market leader in sustainable packaging solutions. That is why Eastern Green purchased Proseal packaging equipment in 2016. This machine allows for top packaging.
The production line has a capacity of 2,000 boxes per hour. In addition to packaging, the production line also features a metal detector and labeling equipment.
When asked about the advantages of their packaging line, Tan replied, "the use of this packaging line greatly reduces the amount of packaging material we use and stimulates the sustainability of our packaging products. From flip-top boxes and bags to seal top boxes, this production line reduces our resource consumption by 45%. In addition, the seal top production line allows for the greatest flexibility for exporters and retailers. We can package fruit and vegetable according to their requirements in a variety of packaging products."
Another advantage is the reduction in labor cost. "Many packaging factories still rely on manual labor to package fruit and vegetables. Our machines work 30% faster and guarantee a level of uniformity and quality stability that manual laborers can not. This is particularly important for soft fruit that requires careful handling."
Eastern Green is also in negotiation with suppliers of bio-degradable packaging material. They hope to further improve their efficiency and reduce the waste of packaging material. "We hope to work together with even more exporters and retailers to make the market more aware of environmentally-friendly packaging solutions."
