Sustainability

As growers of premium mangoes and avocados, working in synergy with the environment is fundamental and very important to us. We love the environments we live and work in and feel a genuine responsibility to nurture and sustain our surroundings.

The Manbulloo team is constantly planning and making our short and long term decisions based on sustainability and protecting our environment.  The way we care for our trees always takes into account caring for the soil, the air, the water and the organisms and animals that are integral parts of our farms.

Current business projects include 2 large-scale solar power energy investments to increase the efficiency of irrigation. Manbulloo is also using in-ground probes to optimise our water use. We are committed to improving management of our inputs and waste on the farms and in our supply chains. We are paying special attention to recycling, reusing and renewing strategies. This includes the type of packaging we use, and the utilisation of left over mango skin and mango seeds, so we use every last bit of our mangoes. 

Here are some of our most recent changes and initiatives:

Sustainable Packaging 

Manbulloo is a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO). As an APCO member we agree to shared commitments and to work collaboratively to achieve sustainable packaging outcomes. Manbulloo is committed to sustainable packaging practices that minimise environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote circularity. We strive to design, source, and use packaging materials that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable and to minimise waste throughout our supply chain.

 You can find more information about APCO on the website www.packagingcovenant.org.au. 

Renewable energy

Manbulloo is committed to reducing consumption of non-renewable energy. A major advancement in this effort was the installation of 285 kW of solar power for our irrigation infrastructure. These solar installations offer a clean alternative to fossil fuels, allowing us to significantly lower our carbon footprint, while continuing to produce high quality mangoes.

Fuel reduction burns

Native bushland takes up over 500 ha of Manbulloo’s Northern Territory farms. Without fire management these sensitive areas are prone to devastating wildfires that risk our plantations and release large amounts of stored carbon. To mitigate this, Manbulloo conducts fuel reduction burns during the cool, dry season evenings and nights. The cool temperatures, low wind, and night-time dew help decrease fire intensity. These low intensity fires reduce fuel for wildfires, protect wildlife and ensure seeds and carbon in the soil are not destroyed.  

Carbon Assessment

Manbulloo is collaborating with Carbon Friendly to conduct an in-depth analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with our Northen Territory operations. A comprehensive understanding of our GHG emissions will allow us to identify areas with the highest potential for reduction. With these insights, we can strategically focus our resources on sustainability initiatives that will have the greatest impact.

Paper inserts

Manbulloo was the first company in Australia to trial paper inserts for packing of mangoes. The paper inserts were imported into Australia by our packaging supplier, Opal (formerly Orora). We first trialled the paper inserts at the end of the mango season in March 2018. The trial was successful and during the 2018-19 season we switched from plastic inserts to paper inserts for the 3 fruit sizes available at the time – counts 14, 16, 18.

Based on Manbulloo’s trail and commercial success using the paper inserts, Opal has now expanded the range to include sizes count 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 for mangoes and avocado sizes count 18, 20, 23, 25, 28. Our goal is to completely switch from plastic to paper inserts. The only limitation is the availability of enough stock.The environmental benefit of the paper inserts is the recyclability of the paper material compared to the plastic inserts that have to go to landfill. It provides savings to Coles for their disposal of waste packaging. At the Coles store, the plastic insert has to be removed from the carton and disposed separately to the carton. With the paper insert, the carton and insert can both be recycled and disposed together which reduces landfill and saves time and costs for the Coles retail team.

Transport

Wherever possible Manbulloo is focused on using rail to transport fruit to our Australian market destinations. It is estimated that rail produces 75% less greenhouse gases than road freight equivalents. By focusing on utilising rail options Manbulloo ensures the carbon footprint of our mango and avocado transport including delivery of mangoes to our customers is greatly reduced.

Water Management on the Farms  

The Manbulloo production team is currently undertaking an extensive assessment of our irrigation efficiency – measuring water pressure, sprinkler distribution and performance and pump performance.  We are using soil moisture monitoring probes to reduce any leaching and waste of precious irrigation water and fertiliser.  This ongoing initiative is a key factor in improving tree performance and water use efficiency.

Our overall goal is to reduce Manbulloo’s energy consumption by 20% per tree. To put it simply, we grow mangoes and avocados that have as little impact on the environment as possible, so we can supply our consumers with fruit that is clean, green and full of flavour.