In September, my wife and I had the “pleasure” of doing a half Ironman relay in western Washington state.

My wife did the swimming and the running, and I did the biking. Most of our friends say I did the easiest part. In my defense, I would point out that the bike is the longest portion of the triathlon (56 miles). Plus, I had to worry about getting a flat, and several times I had to make the agonizing decision as to whether to pass other cyclists. Exhausting! (mentally, at least)

While waiting for my wife to come out of the water, I struck up a conversation with a cyclist who also was waiting for his relay partner. I learned that the cyclist was with team Rockit™ Apple, which bills itself as providing “the perfect snack size apple.” Inevitably, the conversation eventually turned to packaging.

My newfound cycling friend stressed that Rockit Apple was committed to sustainable packaging. Sure enough, when I got back home to Spokane, I came across a 3-lb. shuttle pack of Rockit apples at the supermarket touting that the package is made from 80% recycled plastic. More about Rockit’s commitment to sustainable packaging can be found here.

Rockit’s commitment to recycled packaging and its pivot away from virgin plastic tie into this month’s magazine feature spotlighting some of the most intriguing announcements in sustainable packaging announced in Fall 2023. After all, what says Fall more than apples?

I can only hope for more serendipitous opportunities to learn about companies’ commitments to eco-friendly packaging — hopefully under less strenuous circumstances.

Oh, and the apples are delicious, by the way.