What does your organization stand for when it comes to sustainability and plastic reduction?
Thanks to our mission, vision, and values, we fulfill a pioneering role in the field of sustainability. It is very gratifying to see that this position is recognized by consumers, as evidenced by various awards. For instance, we were recently named number 1 in the Sustainable Brand Index within the supermarket category once again.
Tangible proof of this is that shortly after the introduction of Wisselwaar—our plastic-free concept featuring organic staples in glass deposit jars—it was voted "Organic Product of the Year" by the public. To date, we have already saved nearly 800,000 plastic packages through this concept.
You are participating in "Plastic-Free May" (Mei Plasticvrij) together with the Plastic Soup Foundation. Why this collaboration?
In supermarkets, plastic plays an important role in food safety and convenience, but it also contributes to significant environmental problems. We believe there is another way, and through innovation, we actively focus on reducing single-use plastics. For us, Plastic-Free May is a logical moment to bring extra attention to this topic and further increase consumer awareness.
Why do you believe collaboration between NGOs and retail is essential to make a real impact?
NGOs advocate for very concrete problems in the public interest and often point more directly to where improvements are needed. For retailers, plastic isn't always top-of-mind, but together we can accelerate progress.
What concrete steps have you already taken to reduce plastic in your stores and supply chain?
Our entire personal care range is free of micro- and nanoplastics. Additionally, our fruit and vegetable department is largely filled with unpackaged produce. In many Ekoplaza stores, you can also find "dispenser walls" where customers can tap their own lentils and nuts into paper bags or containers they’ve brought from home.
Various brands in our assortment are replacing plastic packaging with paper, recyclable glass, or metal. Even our bread bags are plastic-free. If there are no alternatives to plastic, we use monoplastic wherever possible to ensure it is easier to recycle.
Where do the biggest challenges still lie?
Finding alternatives that are both sustainable and practical in use. Plastic is often cheap, lightweight, and functional, making it difficult to replace in existing supply chains. At the wholesale level, for example, we are also trying to use less plastic. Time and again, you notice how difficult it remains, simply because plastic is so practical and easy to use. However, based on our mission and vision, we find it incredibly important to maintain focus on this so we can structurally reduce plastic use.
How can you, as a retailer, inspire consumers to use less plastic?
Through our initiatives, we make it concrete how we act and put our ambitions into practice. We regularly draw active attention to this in our communications. We share what we do and why, and we give partners like the Plastic Soup Foundation a platform. In this way, our actions and communications reinforce each other and contribute to greater awareness.
What are you noticing: is the consumer ready for this, or do we still need to change a lot?
In practice, it appears that many people are willing to change as long as it is made easy for them. The key lies in lowering barriers: the simpler the alternative, the faster consumers will follow. This movement can be accelerated when politics also provides support, as happened previously with measures regarding the ban on free plastic bags and the introduction of deposits on small bottles.
What can customers concretely expect from you during the Plastic-Free May month?
During Plastic-Free May, an accessible campaign is running in all Ekoplaza stores where we collect money for the Plastic Soup Foundation together with our customers. For every Wisselwaar jar sold (staple products packed in glass with a deposit), we are donating €0.50 to the Plastic Soup Foundation throughout the month of May. The promotion applies to the entire Wisselwaar range—from coffee and tea to oatmeal or pasta—and is visible throughout the store. This allows customers to contribute to organic staples in a low-threshold and simple way.
Additionally, we are working with influencers to bring extra attention to Plastic-Free May. Through the Ekoplaza and Wisselwaar channels, such as social media and the newsletter, we activate consumers with inspiring content and practical examples to participate themselves. At the end of the month, we will present a check to the Plastic Soup Foundation with the total amount raised. So I would say: the more people participate, the greater the impact.
How do you hope this campaign will touch or activate people?
On the one hand, by increasing awareness, but also by showing that reducing single-use plastic is achievable even while doing daily organic grocery shopping. By making it concrete and easy, customers experience that plastic-free choices are within reach and that they can make a difference with small steps.
In your opinion, what is the biggest misunderstanding about plastic use and sustainability?
That recycling is the solution and that we are already doing very well in the Netherlands.
How do you see the future: can we work toward an (almost) plastic-free retail sector?
If we are open to innovation and willing to accept some inconvenience, (almost) plastic-free retail is achievable. Our bread bags show that innovation goes hand-in-hand with trial and error. By continuing to try, we create a market for producers who innovate and give that development the space to grow until the goal is reached.
What can other companies learn from this collaboration?
Other companies can learn that collaborating with an NGO helps one to act more consciously and purposefully. By pooling knowledge and perspectives, you make better choices and increase your impact. Such a partnership not only sharpens your ambitions but also helps to put them into practice concretely.
How can more organizations join or contribute?
By no longer waiting, but by adjusting your mission and vision and then taking action.
What is your call to action for other entrepreneurs and consumers?
The future will be more beautiful if it is plastic-free. Will you join us?
