Organic fruit and vegetable specialist Eosta has been combatting unnecessary single use plastic packaging for many years. One of recent highlights in this struggle has been Natural Branding and to date the company has saved more than ten million packaging units and has motivated other fruit and vegetable suppliers to follow suit. However, when it comes to packing fruit and vegetables as sustainably as possible, there are also many other innovative possibilities including sugar cane waste material, carton carry trays and cellulose nets. To highlight these and other smart, sustainable packaging solutions, Eosta will be launching the “Plastic Free Zone” at the upcoming Fruit Logistica and Biofach trade fairs.
Natural Branded organic ginger is one of Eosta biggest contributors towards saving plastic. By branding and therefore differentiating the organic ginger instead of packing it, the company has saved more than 40,000 kg of plastic foil in a year.
The natural branded ginger is just one example of a sustainable packing solution. Packaging expert Paul Hendriks, the man behind the successful innovations, is very clear: “The most sustainable packaging is no packaging however, if you are going to pack there are many great, much more sustainable alternatives for plastic like carton, cellulose netting and agri-waste material”.
Michaël Wilde, Sustainability Manager at Eosta emphasizes the urgency of the matter: “in 2018 it became crystal clear that concerned consumers have had it with unnecessary single use plastic packaging. They are shocked and saddened when we see yet another picture of a polluted beach, floating plastic soup or sea animals, fish and birds that get caught up in our plastic waste. At the same time they go into a supermarket and are confronted with a “sea of plastic”.. and ask themselves“why is this necessary?”. We are helping our retail customers to become part of the solution instead of the problem”.
At the upcoming Fruit Logistica Trade Fair in Berlin (6-8 February) and Biofach in Nürnberg (12-16 February) the plastic free zone will play a prominent role in the Eosta stands. Furthermore, Eosta’s packaging and sustainability experts will be available to share their knowledge and answer your questions. Everyone is welcome.
Fruit Logistica: Hal 3.2, stand A-07
Biofach: Hal 7, stand 625
Eosta – with Nature & More as a consumer brand – was established in 1990 and in 28 years has developed into a leading distributor of organic fruit and vegetables with suppliers on six continents and markets throughout Europe, the US, and Hong Kong. The company is known for its sustainability campaigns such as The True Cost of Food, Natural Branding, Dr. Goodfood, and Save Our Soils. In 2018 the company won the King Willem I Plaquette for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and the European Business Award for the Environment. See www.eosta.com andwww.natureandmore.com.
