Albert Heijn cuts over 200,000 kg of plastic annually
Retailer Albert Heijn has significantly advanced its packaging reduction targets by shifting a major segment of its fresh chicken assortment from rigid plastic containers to flexible film bags.
This change achieves a 60% reduction in plastic use per package and is projected to save over 200,000 kg of plastic annually for the retailer.
The transition is now being applied to high-volume products, including chicken fillets, tenderloins, cubes, and stir-fry pieces. This follows a successful 2022 rollout for chicken legs, which saved an initial 130,000 kg of plastic per year.
The move is part of a broader corporate material efficiency strategy focusing on replacing rigid packaging with flexible formats across refrigerated categories. Since 2021, similar transitions have eliminated large volumes of plastic, including approximately 500,000 kg annually from ground meat packaging, 400,000 kg from pre-packaged cheese, and 60,000 kg from fresh pasta.
Nienke Tjerkstra, responsible for sustainability and health at Albert Heijn, noted that the initiative demonstrates intelligent resource management.
“By packaging our products more intelligently, we can reduce our impact on the environment every year. By packaging the chicken in bags instead of containers, we need significantly less packaging while maintaining the flavour and freshness our customers expect. This way, we demonstrate that sustainability, convenience, and flavour can go hand in hand.”
Beyond the material savings, the new flexible packaging provides operational benefits. The smaller size requires less space during transport, leading to improved logistics efficiency. For the consumer, the new format offers greater convenience, as the chicken can be poured directly into the pan after cutting, simplifying the cooking process, all while ensuring the chicken remains just as fresh and delicious as before.
The focus on material substitution is designed to reduce waste and optimise efficiency across the supply chain, from manufacturing and transport through to the consumer’s household waste stream.
