In a significant move towards sustainability, a one-month pilot will showcase an innovative product designed specifically for wrapping cucumbers. This initiative will take place at renowned Swedish retailers Odlarna.se and ICA.
This test symbolizes a pivotal transition for the company as it progresses from research and development (R&D) to commercial-scale production. With the installation of its first industrial machine and production capacity increasing, Saveggy is strategically preparing for comprehensive market launches across Sweden and broader Europe.
Research conducted by Saveggy reveals that the EU utilizes over 3,000 tonnes of plastic annually for cucumber packaging alone. Notably, this innovative solution has the potential for application across a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, with ongoing product development efforts.
Crafted from rapeseed and oat oils, the product presents a waste-free alternative as the EU gears up to implement a ban on single-use plastics for fresh produce by 2030.
Sustainability director at ICA, Kerstin Lindvall, commented on the trial, stating: “This innovation makes it possible for us to remove plastic from cucumbers entirely without compromising quality, something we know our customers appreciate.”
Similarly, Martin Löfstedt from Odlarna.se remarked: “Sustainability and quality are at our core, and this collaboration takes our commitment further by introducing plastic-free cucumbers.”
Founded in 2020, Saveggy is the brainchild of Vahid Sohrabpour and Arash Fayyazi. To date, the company has secured €2.5 million in funding from various investors, including Unconventional Ventures, LRF Ventures, Almi Greentech, Smile Inject Capital, and Fåhraeus Startup and Growth.
The wrap was developed in collaboration with esteemed institutions such as Aarhus University, Lund University, and EIT Food, integrating insights from stakeholders across the value chain, including consumers, ICA, and other retailers and packers.
“Cucumbers highlight the challenge: food waste on one side, plastic-wrapped shelves on the other,” explained Fayyazi. “Our goal is to reduce food waste and plastic pollution together—with respect for nature, people, and the resources that make our food possible.”
