SANTA BARBARA, CA - We are getting to see the advantages of a strategic, ongoing partnership as Asda recently highlighted its success through its alliance with food technology company Apeel. Asda locations offering Apeel-protected produce saw a 36 percent decrease in citrus waste and 10 percent decrease in avocado waste in store locations across the United Kingdom.
“In an environment where inflation is a huge problem, more bang for your buck is important,” said Camille Hanna, Regional Director of Sales for Apeel. “ASDA is able to give their consumers more time with the fruits and vegetables that they buy, so they’re wasting less.”
Asda and Apeel first joined forces in 2019, with the success of a small trial where Apeel-protected produce was offered in a limited number of stores. Later on, the company expanded the program to 150 stores across the UK, helping it to achieve its goal of reducing food waste by 20 percent by 2025 while also impacting shoppers’ sentiment toward the company’s sustainability goals.
Apeel utilizes an edible, plant-based coating to extend the shelf-life of fresh fruits and veggies by keeping moisture in and oxygen out. According to a press release, 70 percent of shoppers agreed that Apeel made them “believe Asda cares about reducing food waste” and 57 percent agree that Apeel “makes them believe Asda is a champion for sustainability.”
In addition to this partnership, Asda has removed the best-before dates on almost 250 fruit and vegetable products, another key step the company has taken to mitigate food waste.
"ASDA has a commitment to be net zero by 2040. Through Apeel and other food waste-reducing initiatives, that can really help in terms of our carbon footprint,” said Karen Todd, Senior Manager Sustainability Team ASDA.
Recognized for bringing such impressive improvements to the grocery sector, Asda and Apeel’s partnership was acknowledged as a finalist in the category of Most Sustainable Retailer Initiative of the Year at the 2022 Retail Industry Awards.
“As we roll forward with Apeel, you know, I wouldn’t want the product to be exclusive to us,” said Mike Snell, Managing Director IPL for Asda. “They should be making it with everybody. If the technology’s that good, and there’s no reason to believe it isn’t, then it could be applied on everything. And then you’d save, I mean, billions of tons of plastic.”
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