North American greenhouse vegetable grower Houweling Group will use Apeel Science's plant-based technology to replace the single-use plastic wraps on its English cucumbers.

The recently announced deal between the two companies is expected to reduce plastic waste by over 60,000 pounds per year.

Houweling’s Group partners with top retailers on the west coast, supplying them with greenhouse-grown produce year-round. Apeel cucumbers will be available soon to retailers.

The news comes just a couple of weeks after Apeel announced a deal with retailer Kroger to provide treated avocados nationwide. It will also introduce Apeel limes and asparagus through a pilot this fall.

Apeel has developed a plant-derived coating that is sprayed onto freshly harvested produce to reduce water loss and prevent oxygen from getting in. It says that the technology can triple shelf life on numerous produce items.

"We are so excited to partner with Houweling’s Group knowing that sustainability is built into the fabric of their organization and we have the same mission of reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills every year," said Gordon Robertson, Apeel Sciences’ chief revenue officer.

"Our growing network of suppliers is committed to using our technology to deliver longer-lasting produce, but we are incredibly proud to see Houweling’s utilize our technology as a way to replace the use of plastic wrap which will ultimately eliminate thousands of pounds of plastic waste per year."

David Bell, CMO of Houweling’s Group, said Apeel is the perfect partner to help achieve the company's sustainability goals.

“We saw an opportunity with Apeel’s unique plant-derived solution that has proven to reduce food waste, but when we recognized Apeel could be used as a complete replacement for the functional plastic wrap on cucumbers, we became really excited," he said.

"With the launch of Apeel-treated Houweling’s cucumbers, we will be addressing a significant pain point for environmentally conscious consumers. This enables us to bring sustainable solutions to our retail partners and create a pathway to significantly reduce plastic from the supply chain."