Better Management Practices: Packaging Materials on Site

Better Management Practices: Packaging Materials on Site

There is a tremendous amount of packaging (boxes, liners, cover sheets, pallets, etc.) for exported bananas.

Packaging represents about a third of all FOB costs (Free on Board, a standard shipping term implying that all costs have been paid and that the product is free and clear) of banana producers in Costa Rica.

Wood pallets and corrugated boxes represent about 10% of the total weight of the cargo for banana shipments. This is an area where improved resource efficiency and the development of product substitutes could reduce substantially the direct and indirect impacts of the banana industry.

Because these materials also represent a significant cost to the producers, there is a financial incentive to use them more efficiently. Since most banana hauling boats are empty, or at least not full, on the return trip to plantation areas, pallets could be returned for multiple uses.

Growing timber on site
Another way to improve performance in this area would be for banana producers to grow timber on areas of the farms that are being fallowed or that are marginal for bananas, but which might be optimal for timber production for making pallets.

If leguminous species of trees were used, they could serve a double role by fixing nitrogen in the soil as well. Forested areas could be developed as havens for wildlife, even if they are not as diverse as natural habitat. In the future forested areas might also provide a separate stream of income from payments for carbon sequestration. In addition some of the pallets could be made from on-farm plastic wastes. This may also help to minimise the need for wood or fibre within the banana industry.