Climate Heroes
We want everyone to enjoy the tastiest fruit salads. But in a sustainable way! Find out how we make sustainable choices for a better future for our Veggie Heroes every time.
Making packaging more sustainable
We are constantly exploring ways to make our packaging more sustainable. We are making our plastic packaging ever thinner and lighter so that we need less plastic. We are also exploring new sustainable options, such as edible protective layers, paper flow packs and the use of cellulose.
Cucumber in a plastic jacket
You probably see them in the shop from time to time: cucumbers wrapped in plastic wrap. The plastic foil allows your cucumber to last for up to 10 to 14 days longer. And that prevents food waste. Without foil, the cucumber quickly loses moisture, making it less crunchy and tasty. So leave the foil on for a whiile if you are not going to eat the cucumber yet.
Packaged or unpackaged?
Products that can take a beating and naturally last longer often do not need packaging. We package other tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers
so that the product lasts longer. (Plastic) packaging has less impact on the enviroment than food waste.
From plastic bottle to packaging
Our aim is to avoid putting new plastic into circulation and to use properly recyclable plastic. For example, much of our packaging is made of rPET, a material made from previously used PET plastic such as plastic bottles.
Tip
Do you choose packaged or unpackaged? Are you shopping for later in the week? Then choose products with packaging. It will last longer!
Throw it away? Of course not!
We don't throw away bell peppers and tomatoes that are no longer suitable for sale in the supermarket. Because these products are still full of flavour and we don't like wasting food, we give them a useful purpose. We turn them into delicious Food Fellows sauces and blends. Did you know that in this way we save 1.5 million kilos of tomatoes and 50,000 kilos of bell peppers from wastage every year?
Extra tasty sauce
Are the tomatoes getting overripe? Then don't throw them away, but make a tasty pasta sauce! These ripe tomatoes will make your sauce extra flavourful. Fry an onion in some olive oil, add several sliced tomatoes and some herbs. You can add other vegetable scraps as well. Let it simmer for a while and then blend with a hand blender. You can easily store the sauce in the freezer.
Tips for leftovers
Do you have leftover vegetables? Then see if you can add them to whatever is on the menu! A bell pepper in the salad, cubes of mushroom in your omelet, fry the tomato in gravy or make a vegetable-rich soup. This way you can easily add extra vegetables to your meal and avoid wasting leftovers!
Energy-efficient lamps
Our salads love light. That's why we turn on extra lighting in the tomato greenhouse during the dark winter months. Increasingly, we opt for energy-efficient LED lights. These use less energy. They also give off less heat, allowing us to control the temperature in the greenhouse even better. You can recognize LED lamps by their pink light.
Ever cleaner and more economical
With smart technology, growers continue to innovate to make cultivation ever cleaner and more energy efficient. For example, did you know that geothermal heat has become big because of developments in greenhouse farming? Geothermal heat not only heats greenhouses, but also houses, swimming pools and factories. Greenhouses have even more uses: they collect rainwater to prevent flooding during periods of extreme precipitation. And plants in greenhouses use CO2 emissions from factories to grow well.
We don't let the heat escape
Growers conserve energy. Good for the climate and the wallet. So we keep the heat in the greenhouse as much as possible. For instance by hanging insulating screens at the top of the greenhouse. These prevent the heat from escaping. Many greenhouses have not just one energy screen, but two or three to ensure even better insulation.
As few resources as possible
Our growers work in a clean and natural way, using as little plant protection products as possible. Growers choose a strong, resilient variety and keep a close eye on greenhouse conditions. In case of setbacks, a grower take action as soon as possible to get diseases and pests out of the greenhouse. Preferably, we choose natural crop protection and natural pest controls. Parasitic wasps that fight aphids, for example.
Horti Footprint: insight into
our environmental impact
Measuring is knowing. That's why we use the Horti Footprint to measure the environmental impact of our products. From cultivation to customer. In this way we set an objective and clear standard for ourselves, but also for the horticultural sector inside and outside the Netherlands. We have insight into the Horti Footprint at 16 different measurement points such as CO₂ emissions, water, land use and particulate matter. Moreover, we see where we can improve. Together with our growers, we have drawn up reduction plans to lower our impact. By 2030, we want 50% less CO2 emissions per kg of product compared to 2020. And in 2040, we want our cultivation to be climate-neutral.
Fairtrade tomatoes
We want to contribute to a better, fair world. That's why we choose Fairtrade at our cultivation sites in North Africa. By doing so, we give something back to the country and its people. By buying Fairtrade tomatoes, you support projects that contribute to a better life for the employees, their families and their environment. Such as good working hours, free transport to and from work, fair wages and development opportunities for men and women. This is how we make an impact!
On the way to Planet Proof
With PlanetProof, our growers show that they want to burden the earth less. Products with this independent quality mark are better for nature, environment, climate, people and animals. Salads must meet requirements in the areas of crop protection, water and nutrients, hygiene, emissions, energy, light pollution, waste, packaging and working conditions.
Organic cultivation
Salads grown according to EU organic production requirements are given the European organic quality logo. These products are grown in the open ground and with natural nutrients and fertilizers. Purely natural, therefore. Products with the Demeter quality mark go even further. Cultivation meets specific requirements for animal welfare, nature and landscape, and processing.
