Avantium N.V., a leading company in renewable and circular polymer materials, is pleased to announce a collaboration with Royal Vezet, Europe’s largest fresh food company specializing in convenience vegetables, fruits, salads, and fresh meals. Together, Royal Vezet and Avantium will work closely to implement Avantium’s PEF for packaging of salad bowls. These PEF-based trays will be used by Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands.
Avantium’s PEF (polyethylene furanoate) is a 100% plant-based, fully recyclable polymer and offers a renewable and circular packaging solution for Royal Vezet’s salad bowls. Avantium is set to start-up the world’s first commercial plant in Delfzijl for 5 kilotons of FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), the key component of PEF, with commercial production expected to begin in 2025. Following this, PEF production will be scaled up to plants of 100 kilotons and beyond, enabling large-scale production of FDCA and PEF through technology licensing.
Royal Vezet produces 6 million consumer units per week. The company prides itself on its innovative approach, strong regional ties, and dedication to sustainability and quality. “Partnering with Avantium aligns with our mission to make tasty and healthy food available for everybody, while minimizing our environmental footprint,” states Anouk Wissink, CEO of Royal Vezet. “We are eager to demonstrate the potential of PEF-based packaging and its benefits for our products and Albert Heijn’s customers.”
Albert Heijn will start by introducing the first PEF-based salad bowl trays, and explores further expansion to the packaging of other segments. Marit van Egmond, CEO of Albert Heijn, comments: “We are proud to introduce PEF-based salad bowl trays, furthering our commitment to sustainability. This initiative follows our successful collaboration with Refresco and Avantium on PEF-based bottles for fruit juices. By expanding our use of PEF, we continue to lead the way in offering eco-friendly packaging solutions to our customers.”
“We are pleased to partner with Royal Vezet and Albert Heijn on this innovative project. This collaboration is a proof to the power of strategic partnerships in driving sustainable innovation. By combining Avantium’s PEF with Royal Vezet’s commitment to fresh, high-quality products and Albert Heijn’s extensive market reach, we are convinced to make a significant impact on the food packaging industry. Together, we can accelerate the transition to more sustainable packaging solutions, promoting healthy products in eco-friendly packaging that benefit both consumers and the environment,” says Tom an Aken, CEO of Avantium.