In the Netherlands, Avantium N.V., a leading developer of renewable and circular polymer materials, has announced that compatriot Hoogesteger BV, a Pan Jamaica Group Ltd (PJ Group) company, a producer of fresh juices and smoothies supplying retail and foodservice customers, has signed a capacity reservation agreement for Avantium’s polyethylene furanoate (PEF), marketed as "releaf".
According to a statement, the agreement builds on the offtake agreement the two companies entered into last year and marks a further step toward the commercial adoption of releaf.
Under the agreement, Hoogesteger secures access to future production volumes of releaf from planned licensed plants.
Capacity reservation agreements represent commitments for volumes from future industrial-scale facilities to be built and operated by Avantium’s licensees. Avantium has now secured capacity reservation agreements for well over 100,000 tonnes of releaf, exceeding the output of a single 100,000 tonne licensed plant.
Releaf is a plant-based and recyclable polymer designed as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.
It offers superior barrier properties that help keep juices and smoothies fresher for longer, while also reducing the carbon footprint. The collaboration between Avantium and Hoogesteger reflects a shared ambition to make packaging more sustainable without compromising on quality or product integrity.
Building on the earlier offtake agreement and now this reserved capacity, the partnership outlines a clear pathway toward large-scale adoption of releaf across both retail and foodservice markets.
Sustainability is a key priority for us, and packaging plays an important role in that journey. Following our earlier offtake agreement, this capacity reservation reflects our confidence in releaf as a next-generation material. Its performance is equally important to us, as it helps keep our juices and smoothies fresher for longer while reducing our environmental impact, said Charles Arentsen, CEO at Hoogesteger.
Hoogesteger supplies a broad customer base, including supermarkets such as Albert Heijn and wholesalers including Sligro and Hanos, as well as hospitality and foodservice groups such as Van der Valk and corporate catering.
This agreement with Hoogesteger is an important step in building the future releaf value chain. It shows that partners are moving beyond initial interest toward securing volumes from future plants. With well over 100 kilotonnes now reserved, we are seeing clear momentum toward large-scale deployment, commented Bineke Posthumus, Director Business Development at Avantium.
