No more plastic containers for strawberries at Delhaize

Delhaize is abolishing plastic containers for its Belgian strawberries: that move should save 17,000 kilos of plastic this year alone. The retailer says the strawberry market is growing by around 10 % annually.

Longer strawberry season

Delhaize now sells Belgian strawberries in a new cardboard container, no longer in plastic. The switch to cardboard ensures a significant reduction in plastic use: Delhaize already expects to save 17,000 kilograms of plastic for this year alone. In the long run, when more growers switch to this type of packaging, the savings could reach 52,000 kilograms per year, the retailer hopes.

A QR code on the container allows customers access to a page on Delhaize’s website, where they can read about the origin of the strawberries, the sustainable growing methods used and the story of the local grower. The strawberries are grown exclusively for Delhaize by Royakkers.

The strawberry market has been experiencing annual growth of around 10 % for several years. Demand increases every year, and more and more customers want to extend the season – both earlier in spring and later in autumn. Delhaize is adjusting its planning to meet this growing demand.