Recyclable Plant-Based Packaging

Royal Vezet has partnered with Avantium, a packaging specialist, to create sustainable packaging solutions for Albert Heijn, the largest retailer in the Netherlands: This collaboration marks a significant step toward reducing the environmental impact of packaging in the fresh produce sector.

The project will "initially focus on salad bowls made from a fully recyclable and 100% plant-based material called polyethylene furanoate (PEF)." This innovative material aims to establish a renewable and circular packaging system, providing a greener alternative to traditional plastics. In addition to developing PEF packaging, Avantium plans to "build the world’s first commercial production facility for furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a key ingredient in PEF, in the northeastern Netherlands by 2025."

Through this partnership, Royal Vezet will transition to more eco-friendly packaging solutions for the approximately six million units it produces weekly. Initially, Albert Heijn will implement the new material for salad bowls, but there are plans to explore expanding its use to other product categories in the future.

Image Credit: Avantium