Albert Heijn focuses on circular packaging

Albert Heijn starts with the recycling of plastic fruit trays: by using PET from household waste for new plastic trays, the plastic gets a second life. The first containers that are reused in this way will be in the shops from the end of February. Initially, more than 500,000 trays per year will be produced.

Transparent packaging

PET from household packaging waste is the only type of plastic that may be used as food packaging after recycling. Until now, this was only possible with PET bottles such as returnable bottles. Previously, PET containers such as mushroom trays and meat trays were recycled into non-recyclable coloured plastic or for low-grade purposes, such as roadside bollards or picnic tables. It is the first time that these trays are now being recycled into transparent, recyclable food packaging.

Boost to recycling

The advantage of recycling old PET trays is that more PET from the deposit stream becomes available for bottles, so less new plastic is needed. It also gives plastic recycling a boost because more used food packaging can be reused as food packaging. It also ensures more availability of recycled PET.

Source: Albert Heijn