Apple Producer and Supplier Becomes Australia’s First Organic Company to Use Fully Home Compostable Packaging

The announcement comes as Australia commits to phasing out all single-use plastic by 2025 in a bid to reduce plastic waste. As a result, all plastic must be reusable, recyclable, or compostable.

As Australia’s first and largest organic apple supplier, R&R Smith has been growing apples in its Tasmanian orchard since 1888 and opened Australia’s first certified organic apple orchard in 1998. Its apples meet the standards of organic certification through the NASAA (National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia). The company views the health of soils, people, and the planet as one continuous, circular system.

Leading compostable packaging supplier, TIPA, will be supplying the brand’s home compostable produce bags. While researching compostable solutions, R&R Smith chose TIPA due to its high regulatory certifications to ensure authenticity, transparency, strength, quality and food safe processing from the orchard to the consumer.

TIPA offers high-performance compostable films and laminates to customers around the globe that mimic plastic, and recently expanded into the ANZ market. Its compostable packaging solutions perform like conventional plastic, and are certified compostable, leaving no waste behind.

Consumers are increasingly looking for sustainable alternatives to traditional plastic packaging. Recent polling found that some eight-in-ten Australian adults believe using compostable packaging is a more effective solution to the plastic waste crisis than recycling plastic[i].

R&R Smith provide apples for well-known brands, including Australia’s largest supermarket chain, Woolworth’s, and Australia’s most awarded cider: Willie Smith’s Organic Cider.

R&R Smith managing director Andrew Smith said, “We know that our customers want sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic and we are extremely proud to introduce the first fully home compostable package for our pre-packaged fruit. TIPA has provided the best solution for our produce, and we are pleased that our packaging now returns back to organic matter, making our products fully circular.”

Chen Katz, TIPA CEO Chen Katz said, “Interest in compostable packaging is booming and this has been driven by positive environmental legislation and consumer demand for plastic alternatives. TIPA’s technology is prepared to meet this demand, and we are ready to support the Australian market transition to compostable packaging.”