Nature Fresh Farms is has released a new wrap for its Long English Cucumbers that is completely compostable at home, described as a first in the North American market.

An alternative to traditional polyethylene plastic, this film is an environmentally friendly compostable wrap that breaks down in a household compost without leaving behind microplastics.

The compostable film will prolong the shelf life of the product, but it will do so without adding to long term landfill waste, the company says.

Made from a starch-based PLA that is derived from plant-based resources including non-GMO corn starch, it is 100% compostable, breaking down naturally into CO2 and water.

Cucumbers are packed in shrink wrap to significantly extend their life by minimizing evaporation. Through the compostable film, Nature Fresh Farms has found a packaging solution that can maintain the shelf life of the cucumber, while meeting the demands of more sustainable packaging alternatives.

“The launch of the compostable wrap is a demonstration of our commitment to our consumers wants of reducing plastic usage. We are excited to be first to market with this initiative in North American and are hopeful this will start a trend with the industry while we continue to lead in sustainable packaging solutions,” Matt Quiring, Director of Sales.

In addition, the wrap includes a PLU pre-printed on the film in compostable ink. This feature allows the entire wrap to be thrown in with backyard compost or in landfills without harming the environment. PLU stickers are commonly made of vinyl and plastic. This new wrap eliminates the need for the additional application.

“After two years of research & development and lot of trial & error, it’s so exciting to see this film launch in market. We are confident in this product’s ability to make a true difference,” said Luci Faas, Product Development Specialist At Nature Fresh Farms.

"We are driven to accelerate innovation via evidence informed sustainable packaging solutions that provide a better experience for our customers, while also helping to preserve the vitality of our planet."