Onion net packaging: Can 40 grams of netting be reduced even further?

A net bag weighing just 40 grams can hold 25 kilograms of onions. That’s 625 times its own weight. But with growing attention to packaging material reduction and new EU requirements, an important question arises: can onion net packaging be made even lighter without compromising performance?

The Netherlands is one of the world’s leading onion exporters, supplying markets around the world. Every year, large volumes of onions are dried, sorted, packed and transported to customers across international markets. Packaging plays an important role in this process, protecting the product while supporting efficient handling, storage and transport.

Net bags are widely used for packing onions. Their open structure allows ventilation, while their strength makes them suitable for handling relatively heavy loads with a limited amount of packaging material. At NNZ, we offer a range of onion packaging solutions for different packing, storage and transport requirements.

A net bag weighing approximately 40 grams can carry 25 kilograms of onions. This means the packaging can hold 625 times its own weight. However, reducing the weight of an onion net bag is not simply a matter of using less plastic or thinner yarn. Several technical characteristics influence the performance of the packaging:

• Yarn thickness:  influences the strength and overall weight of the net.
• Mesh structure:  affects how the load is distributed and how the packaging performs.
• Stretch:  influences how the net adapts to the product and behaves during filling and handling.
• Machine compatibility:  ensures the net runs efficiently on existing packaging equipment.

Changing one of these characteristics can influence the others. A lighter net may reduce material consumption, but it must still withstand the demands of filling, handling, stacking and transport.  The objective is therefore not necessarily to produce the lightest possible net, but to identify the right net construction for each application.

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) introduces additional requirements for packaging design and material minimisation. From 2030, packaging must be designed so that its weight and volume are reduced to the minimum necessary to maintain its functionality, taking account of factors such as product protection, safety and handling.

For onion net packaging, this makes the relationship between material use and packaging performance increasingly relevant. Reducing packaging weight alone is not sufficient. Packaging design decisions must also consider the technical requirements of the application and be supported by appropriate documentation. For onion packers and exporters, reviewing existing net specifications can therefore be a practical starting point for preparing for future requirements.

A 40-gram net bag carrying 25 kilograms of onions already demonstrates how efficiently packaging material can be used. The next question is whether further reductions are technically possible for a specific application.

By evaluating net construction, material properties and performance during packing and transport, we can help customers explore opportunities to reduce packaging material without compromising the functionality they depend on.