Cucumbers, leeks and peppers sourced from the Netherlands will no longer be sold in plastic packaging, says retailer

Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo has announced that all of the loose red peppers and cucumbers it sources from within the Netherlands will be sold without plastic packaging from now on.

By the summer, it also plans to remove all plastic wrapping from its Dutch leeks. The move applies across its more than 700 stores, and also to its online business.

According to the company, the move will save more than 50 tonnes of plastic per year, and eliminate over 140 tonnes of CO2e emissions.

It follows an earlier decision by the retailer to stop using airfreight to procure all of its fresh produce.

The group aims to use 20 per cent less packaging in 2025 compared with 2020. It says it plans to achieve this by using more reusable, recyclable and recycled materials.

It said its decision to replace plastic disposable bags for fruit and vegetables with reusable ones had already saved 35m plastic bags per year.

Netherlands Jumbo peppers cucumbers

Image: Jumbo