MoreGerber Poultry Inc., a family-owned producer and processor of all-natural and antibiotic-free chicken products, partners with Interstate Container to convert 100 percentof operations entirely to Greencoat recyclable packaging.
After years of experimenting with corrugated manufacturers, Gerber Poultry Inc. found Interstate Container’s Greencoat boxes to be the perfect solution for their needs. Greencoat boxes reportedly offer a recyclable, eco-friendly packaging solution that matches the durability, water resistance and cost of traditional wax boxes.
“Gerber has been committed for over 60 years to maintaining the basic simplicity of its local, Amish, family farm roots as much as possible,” says Glenn Mott, vice president and chief operating officer for Gerber Poultry. “For example, our feed has never included arsenic, and we do not use antibiotics or animal by-products as a cheap protein source – even though these are standard practices in our industry. Using non-recyclable, landfill-consuming wax boxes has been common practice too – but we knew it didn’t have to be.”
Gerber experimented with many different packaging firms, but “nothing ever came close to the overall function and utility of wax packaging – until Interstate Container came to our door with their Greencoat box,” Mott explains.
With Interstate Container’s assistance, Gerber put Greencoat to the test with a brief trial period, that included designing custom boxes, testing, shipping assessments and evaluating end-user reviews. “We’re in the process of switching to Greencoat for all of our bulk shipping needs, and to Interstate Container for all of our packaging needs. We will soon be a 100 percent recyclable, wax-free operation,” says Glenn Mott.
The alignment of values and principles between Gerber Poultry and Interstate Container fueled the partnership, in addition to Greencoat boxes eliminating wax disposal fees and offering a cost-neutral packaging solution to traditional wax boxes.
