An advancement in brown paper potato packaging innovation is set to deliver sweeping benefits across South Africa’s agricultural and retail industries.
Shoprite Group has become the first local retailer to introduce a fully recyclable 7kg potato bag which, the group believed, offers a practical solution to a long-standing environmental problem, while unlocking economic potential for the country’s informal waste pickers.
The new bag will significantly reduce the volume of wet strength-lined potato pockets sent to landfills, which amounted to an estimated 18 600t in 2023 alone, the group said in a statement.
Furthermore, if adopted across the industry, the recyclable bag could divert millions of bags from landfill sites, help farmers and retailers meet sustainability targets, and generate over R22 million in potential income for informal recyclers, who are essential to South Africa’s waste economy.
Sanjeev Raghubir, chief sustainability officer at the Shoprite Group, told Farmer’s Weekly that this innovation promises to reshape packaging standards in the potato industry, which has long relied on non-recyclable materials to meet food safety and shelf-life requirements.
He said for producers and retailers, it presents an opportunity to improve environmental performance without compromising quality or incurring additional costs.
“People are increasingly looking to businesses for solutions that benefit both society and the environment, [which is] a responsibility we take to heart,” he said.
“We are committed to tackling South Africa’s waste challenges and believe this initiative will inspire others to follow suit. The development of the country’s first fully recyclable 7kg potato bag, designed and tailored specifically for local recycling infrastructure, is a major step forward for the industry. We fully support broader adoption across the sector.
“While the Shoprite Group accounts for around 5% of all potato pockets used nationally, industry-wide collaboration will be essential to deliver meaningful environmental impact and move toward a more sustainable future.”
Developed entirely in-house by a team of five Shoprite employees during a leadership development programme with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), the recyclable bag marks a first for the country.
The group’s 7kg potato pocket had previously presented a technical hurdle: the inner wet-strength layer, designed to protect against moisture, could not be processed by local recyclers.
A previous Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) study concluded that recycling this type of packaging would require building new plants at a cost of around R30 million each, an unviable option for most in the sector.
According to the group, the Shoprite team undertook a six-month deep dive into the value chain, consulting stakeholders from paper mills and recyclers to waste pickers and consumers.
Response from the potato industry
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Potatoes South Africa CEO Willie Jacobs said the breakthrough is a significant step for the industry, not only locally, but also globally.
“Paper packaging is preferred when it comes to potatoes, but the wet strength layer posed problems for recycling. While we maintain that much of the packaging has been reusable and not ended up in landfills, this kind of development is a step in the right direction.
“The importance of brown paper packaging cannot be understated as it is paramount in maintaining the quality of potatoes throughout the value chain. This is why you see suppliers only packaging small quantities in plastic, because it must be turned over quickly to maintain potato quality.”
He said paper packaging lends itself to three major positives in potato shelf life.
“Asides from breathability, paper packaging lends itself to creating isolation so that the potatoes are minimally exposed to light, temperature and moisture; all factors which are known to compromise quality. So, if Shoprite has been able to maintain a viable wet-strength while making the packaging entirely recyclable then it is a win for all of us in the industry.”
He said Potatoes South Africa works extensively with the Shoprite Group and he commended the methodology used to undertake this project.
The new recyclable 7kg potato bag have been rolled out across more than 1 400 Shoprite, Checkers, and Usave supermarkets since the beginning of May.
“This rollout will raise the proportion of Shoprite Group’s recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging from 88,9% to 90%, further advancing the group toward its 2025 sustainable packaging targets,” the group said.
