Avantium’s PEF to be used in juice bottles

Avantium N.V., a Netherlands-based renewable and circular polymer materials company, has signed a conditional offtake agreement with Hoogesteger, a producer of cold-pressed juices also based in the Netherlands. Hoogesteger will purchase the 100 percent plant-based, recyclable polymer polyethylene furanoate (PEF) from Avantium’s furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) flagship plant for the use in bottles for its juices made from vegetables, fruit and fresh herbs.

Avantium’s recyclable PEF polymer, branded as Releaf, offers a renewable and circular packaging solution for Hoogesteger’s juices. According to Avantium, releaf has a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional plastics like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glass or aluminum. In addition, its oxygen barrier is ten times better than PET, which helps extend the shelf life of products.

The PEF bottle for Hoogesteger's juices will become available at Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, once Avantium’s commercial flagship plant is operational. It marks the third PEF-based application for Albert Heijn, following collaborations with Royal Vezet for salad bowls and Refresco for juice bottles.

“We are pleased to partner with Avantium to introduce PEF-based bottles for our fresh cold-pressed juices,” Hoogesteger CEO Charles Arentsen says. “This collaboration aligns with our mission to deliver high-quality, sustainable products to our customers. We believe that these innovative PEF bottles will enhance the freshness and shelf life of our juices while reducing our environmental footprint.”

Avantium is starting up what it claims is the world’s first commercial plant in Delfzijl for five kilotons of FDCA, the key component of Releaf, with sales under the offtake agreements expected to begin in the second half of this year. Following this, Releaf production is anticipated to be scaled up through technology licensing to plants of 100 kilotons and beyond, enabling large-scale production of FDCA and Releaf. 

"We are proud to be expanding our partnership network with Hoogesteger," says Bineke Posthumus, commercial director at Avantium. "This agreement highlights the versatility and sustainability of Releaf as a packaging material. Together, we can provide Albert Heijn's consumers with more sustainable choices and drive the transition to a circular economy."