Jumbo makes sustainable bottles

Jumbo is switching to using more sustainable bottles for all its fresh juices. This week, the popular 1 litre bottle of fresh orange juice will appear on the Jumbo shelf with this environmentally friendly packaging. This is followed by all other sizes of fresh juices, including those from the La Place private label. A total of 75 different product bottles are involved. Three quarters of the new 1 litre bottle consists of recycled plastic, called RPET, and one quarter of recyclable bio-based plastic. The bottle cap is made of 100% transparent HDPE, a recyclable type of plastic. The measure means a saving of approximately 100,000 kilos of new plastic per year.

"We understand the concern about the increase in plastic waste. We at Jumbo want to do something about this. That is why we are gradually working towards less and better packaging. The switch to these more sustainable bottles makes an important difference, because our fresh juices are popular with our customers, says Olaf de Boer, Commercial Director of Jumbo. "With the 'new' bottles, we maintain the ease of use for the customer and the product still tastes just as good, while ensuring that there is less single-use plastic in circulation. That's pure profit!" The RPET material from which three quarters of the new bottles are made comes from recycled plastic and can then be reused, for example, to pack food. The rest is made from vegetable-based, bio-based plastic, often made from renewable natural resources such as sugar cane waste. This material is also recyclable. 

Reducing the plastic footprint

The new measure is part of a series of actions undertaken by Jumbo to reduce the use of packaging materials and in particular to reduce the plastic footprint. Jumbo is committed to reducing the amount of packaging by 20% and replacing 95% of the remaining material with recyclable solutions by 2025. For example, Jumbo is currently investigating where and when its customers and employees use cups to make more than 27 million cups sustainable on an annual basis, more and more organic AGF products are being naturally labelled using laser technology, and various plastic packaging is being improved by alternatives based on easily recyclable mono-material. The introduction of sustainable bottles for fresh juices is expected to make an important contribution to achieving the targets set. Jumbo reports on these and other actions on a dedicated reporting website.