Greenhouse grower and marketer Houweling’s Group plans to use Apeel Sciences’ shelf life technology to do away with the plastic wrap on its English cucumbers.
The move eliminates both plastic and food waste, according to the companies, reducing plastic use by the grower by more than 60,000 pounds a year.
“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,” Gordon Robertson, chief revenue officer of Apeel Sciences said in a news release.
Houweling’s has a history of investing in green business practices, David Bell, the company’s chief marketing officer, said in the release.
“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,” Bell said in the release. “With the launch of Apeel-treated Houweling’s cucumbers, we will be addressing a significant pain point for environmentally conscious consumers.”
The companies will be showcasing the plastic-free cucumbers at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit expo on Oct. 18-19 in Anaheim, Calif. Houweling's will be at booth No. 967, and Apeel Sciences is at booth No. 4948.
Houweling’s, which also grows numerous varieties of tomatoes, has more than 200 acres of greenhouse production in Camarillo, Calif., Mona, Utah, Loveland, Colo., and Delta, British Columbia.
Related
Eyeing expansion, Houweling’s partners with investment firm