Sweden Embraces New Edible Coating to Cut Plastic Waste by 130 Tons Annually

A pioneering invisible and edible coating for cucumbers is set to significantly reduce plastic packaging waste in Sweden. Developed with sustainability in mind, this innovative technology allows cucumbers to stay fresh longer without the need for plastic wraps. According to Kerstin Lindvall, sustainability director at Ica, "This innovation allows us to completely remove plastic from cucumbers without compromising sustainability or quality." The coating will undergo testing on a limited batch of cucumbers from weeks 40 to 44 in southern and western Sweden. If adopted nationwide, it could save approximately 130 tons of plastic every year, marking a major step forward in reducing plastic pollution.

Meanwhile, in the broader Nordic region, researchers in Copenhagen have developed BAETA, a material made from PET plastic combined with ethylenediamine aimed at capturing carbon dioxide emissions from factory smokestacks. Though still in early development stages, BAETA represents a promising method to use plastic waste for climate change mitigation by effectively binding CO2. This complements Sweden's own sustainability efforts, highlighting the increasing role of innovative plastics technology in environmental protection.

These advancements reflect a growing push in Scandinavia to leverage technological innovation for sustainability, reducing both plastic usage and carbon emissions in practical and impactful ways.