SANTA BARBARA, CA - Apeel Sciences announced that an agreement with Houweling’s Group has been made. Houweling’s Group will have access to Apeel’s plant-based technology to replace the single-use plastic wraps on its English cucumbers, reducing food and plastic waste at the same time. The partnership comes after Apeel's news that U.S. retailers will soon have year-round access to Apeel fruits and vegetables that stay fresh up to two to three times longer than untreated produce.
"We are so excited to partner with Houweling’s Group knowing that sustainability is built into the fabric of their organization and we have the same mission of reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills every year,” said Gordon Robertson, Apeel Sciences’ Chief Revenue Officer. “Our growing network of suppliers is committed to using our technology to deliver longer-lasting produce, but we are incredibly proud to see Houweling’s utilize our technology as a way to replace the use of plastic wrap which will ultimately eliminate thousands of pounds of plastic waste per year.”
According to the press release, this partnership comes at a time when approximately 18 billion pounds of plastic waste enters the oceans annually. According to the UN Environment, only 9 percent of all plastic waste produced has been recycled, revealing the crucial need to reduce plastic use at the source.
“We have a rich history of investing in green business practices, leading the industry to a more sustainable future, which is why Apeel is the perfect partner to help achieve our goals in protecting the planet,” said David Bell, CMO of the Houweling’s Group. “We saw an opportunity with Apeel’s unique plant-derived solution that has proven to reduce food waste, but when we recognized Apeel could be used as a complete replacement for the functional plastic wrap on cucumbers, we became really excited. With the launch of Apeel-treated Houweling’s cucumbers, we will be addressing a significant pain point for environmentally-conscious consumers. This enables us to bring sustainable solutions to our retail partners and create a pathway to significantly reduce plastic from the supply chain.”
With more partnerships being made toward sustainability, will the time for zero-plastic wrapping become the norm? Keep reading ANUK as we uncover more in the produce industry.
