Apeel Sciences announced an agreement with Houweling’s Group, greenhouse grower and marketer fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. The 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.
"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.”
“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 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.”
This partnership comes at a time when approximately 18 billion pounds of plastic waste enters into 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.
Houweling’s Group partners with top retailers on the west coast, supplying them with greenhouse-grown produce year-round. Houweling’s can be found in leading membership-based club stores, national grocery chains, and regional grocers in the western USA. Apeel cucumbers will be available soon to retailers who share our goal of meeting consumer demand to move away from plastic.
The Houweling’s and Apeel agreement comes after Apeel's news last month 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. Apeel’s supplier partnerships will enable a consistent supply of Apeel avocados, limes, asparagus, and apples - and now cucumbers - for U.S. retailers and consumers. This growing network of innovative grower-packer-shippers are committed to using Apeel’s plant-derived technology to deliver longer-lasting freshness and less waste on retail shelves and in homes across the country.
For more information:
Michelle Masek
Apeel Sciences
Michelle@apeelsciences.com
David Bell, CMO
Houweling’s Group
David.Bell@houwelings.com