Visy, Australia’s largest integrated recycler and remanufacturer, has teamed up with seafood producer Tassal to introduce locally-made cardboard boxes for prawns, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging, which is hard to recycle and harmful to the environment.
The new packaging, made with up to 74 per cent recycled content, replaces the EPS boxes and marks a substantial shift in the seafood industry’s approach to sustainability.
An estimated 100,000 EPS boxes are used annually to transport prawns to major retailers, seafood markets, and wholesalers.
The newly developed cardboard boxes are being manufactured at Visy’s Carole Park facility in Ipswich, Queensland, before being filled with fresh prawns in Proserpine.
Adrian Dalgleish, Visy’s Executive General Manager for Fibre Packaging, emphasised the dual importance of sustainability and food safety in the innovation.
“By working closely with Tassal, we have created a purpose-built box which maintains temperature and structural integrity when exposed to water—ensuring Australians get fresh prawns without the waste,” Dalgleish said.
He highlighted the economic benefits of the initiative, adding, “By manufacturing cardboard recyclable boxes locally, we’re keeping manufacturing jobs in Australia. Having the most extensive network of corrugated box plants in Australia ensures we are close to customers and can respond to their needs quickly.”
Tassal’s General Manager for Marketing and Innovation, Libby Williams, underscored the value of the partnership.
“Our new 10kg cardboard prawn box is a win for the industry and the environment,” Williams said.
“By partnering with Visy, we’re able to utilise recyclable cardboard while maintaining freshness and quality, so consumers can be assured that the path their favourite prawns take this summer is in a sustainable package versus EPS boxes previously.”
