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Let’s talk about reuse on the farm. Using (and reusing) what you’ve got is a great mentality on any successful farm. It’s important to be able to solve problems using the resources at hand. So let’s take that mentality and add a food safety lens to it!
I COULD reuse these paper pints…
…But would you? And, more importantly, should you? Paper containers, like those popular pulp boxes you pack your berries into, are fairly sturdy, so long as they don’t get wet. And considering the berries/cherry tomatoes/snap peas are only in them for such a short time, the appeal of reusing these is real. But can you clean it??? No, not very easily. And they are impossible to sanitize. Paper products like these berry boxes are hard to keep sanitary and should be considered a single-use product, especially for fresh fruits and vegetables.
We can apply this food safety lens to most food-contact surfaces on the farm. Consider waxed cardboard produce boxes: the wax lends some water resistance to the cardboard and makes it easier to wipe clean. We still can’t sanitize a fibrous surface like this, but it is certainly a rung above the pulp boxes on the food safety ladder.
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