Do you agree with Agree?

The first Green Alley Award finalist is a company that tackles plastic packaging waste for fruit and vegetables

Fanfare, please: the winner of the 2022 Public Vote for the Green Alley Award is the Italian startup Agree. The company is the first of six young businesses that will pitch for the Green Alley Award trophy in April.

Agree’s business idea tackles the dilemma that some products, especially fresh food, need packaging for protection, but this generates huge amounts of plastic packaging waste.

With France banning fruit and vegetables from being sold in plastic packaging, and other countries looking for alternative packaging solutions, Agree has come up with a timely solution.

The startup has developed a plant-based edible coating made of agricultural by-products to protect fruit and vegetables, which they claim increases shelf life and prevents food waste just as well as plastic.

Great response to the public vote

Overall, the public vote received 6,663 votes (almost double the amount in 2021) and a third of those votes went to Agree. The Green Alley Award team are delighted that so many people took part and supported the top 20 startups for the circular economy.

Agree is the first of six startups to enter the Green Alley Award final, but the remaining 19 startups are still in the competition. The selection committee will choose the remaining five finalists at the beginning of March.

If your company is interested in recyclable or reusable packaging, new sustainable materials for your products or improved battery recycling, check out the 20 startups on the Green Alley Award website.

If you are interested in becoming a Green Alley Award partner, sponsor or expert, you can find more information here.