Jac. Vandenberg, Inc is a family owned and operated company that has been marketing premium quality fruit for many decades. Jacob Vandenberg started the business in 1905 in the Netherlands. He opened the first office in New York in 1946 together with his son Heiman. Today Vandenberg is one of the leading fresh produce distributors in the USA and Canada with a second headquarter in Los Angeles for the West Coast. Vandenberg launched VPZ´s Packnatur® netting for mandarins, oranges and lemons in 2020. Vandenberg was recently honored as a Finalist in the 2021 Eco-Excellence Awards™ for its BIO bags made with VPZ’s Packnatur® netting. Please vote until 23^rd of July here to support this compostable packaging idea in the US market > https://submit-ecoexcellenceawards.com/vote-now/#seeMore (category “Nutrition”)

We asked John Paap from Jac. Vandenberg to give us a short feedback on our netting:

• What experience did you make with our netting?

The netting has a wonderful story behind it which makes it exciting to share with our retail partners. A raw material that is sustainably sourced and returns to nature at the end of its life is a story many can appreciate and get excited about in today’s environment. This also ties in very well to our sustainability commitments and efforts to reduce single-use plastic. From an operation and packing standpoint, replacing the traditional plastic netting to the Packnatur® netting has been relatively seamless. The material itself is far softer than plastic and lends itself to a more organic presentation.

• Did you get feedback from your customers?
  
  Yes, the response has generally been very positive. Our customers are happy to see a fully sustainable salutation at a similar price point to our traditional plastic-film based bags. In the US, retailers are further behind in adopting and understanding the importance of sustainable packaging when compared to their European counterparts. However, I believe over the next few years we will begin to see more of our customers transition to this netting as consumer demand for this kind of packaging continues to increase exponentially.


• Does it support your marketing?
  
  Definitely. Sustainability and preservation of the environment have been keystone elements for our SUNRAYS® brand and the story behind the netting really ties in perfectly with the brand narrative. This netting is a real differentiator for us in the marketplace.

https://www.jacvandenberg.com/