From August, only biodegradable bags will be available in the fruit and vegetable sections of SPAR and INTERSPAR stores  throughout the country, with the traditional single-use plastic bags phased out of the shops for good.

In nine SPAR stores and one INTERSPAR store in Tatabánya, the new biodegradable bags, which are primarily used for packaging fruit and vegetables, have been tested for four weeks from 4 April 2022. Customers were also offered the opportunity to buy fruit and vegetables using their own bags or even without packaging.

“The successful four-week trial run in Tatabánya proved that our customers also support the Group’s green philosophy and join our sustainability initiatives, for example by using environmentally-friendly packaging materials or buying fruit and vegetables without packaging. Thus, from 1 August 2022, we will switch to biodegradable, reusable bags, which can be purchased for a symbolic amount of 15 HUF in all our fruit and vegetable departments at all SPAR stores nationwide. When paying at the self-checkout, customers will be able to select whether they are using a bag bought in-store or brought from home,” said Márk Maczelka, head of communications. He added: it is worth noting that customers used an average of 250 million pieces of the previous standard 7-micron rollbags in SPAR stores every year, which together weighed 450 tonnes, so the change will reduce the amount of plastic used by that much.

The new material is more flexible, making it more resistant to heavier loads. Unlike the traditional version, the new product is biodegradable and can even be composted at home, so it can be disposed of in a compost or in municipal waste bins after use. The new bags are more absorbent than the conventional ones and are not recommended for home storage of bakery products, as they dry out food more quickly.

In the bakery sections, paper-based packaging has already replaced the former plastic bags. Not only does this reduce the amount of plastic used in food packaging, but the reusable containers offered in the stores of the retail chain also help us to be more environmentally conscious.

In addition to the above, from 1 July 2021, SPAR has no longer sold disposable plastic products such as single-use plastic plates, cups, cutlery and straws. These have been replaced by reusable, dishwasher-safe or paper items.

Images attached to the press release are available in SPAR Médiatár, at the address http://mediatar.spar.hu/. The interface also enables downloading additional public images from SPAR. When using the images, please credit the photos to “spar.hu”.

For more information please contact:

Márk Maczelka, head of communications

SPAR Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft. ∙ 2060, Bicske, SPAR út

Mobile: +36 20 823 7891 ∙ E-mail: maczelka.mark@spar.hu

SPAR Hungary is reducing its plastic use by 84 tonnes per year with new packaging materials used in its logistics department. The company is also continually increasing the number of their biodegradable and compostable products, as well as products made of recyclable plastic.

“One of the most important pillars of SPAR Hungary’s sustainability program is the protection of the environment. Our ambition includes environmentally-conscious corporate governance, a reduction in the emission of pollutants, and the use of modern packaging technologies. Therefore we are reducing the amount of plastic we use during the production and logistics phases in several stages. We have used 13.5 fewer tonnes of plastic in the packaging of Regnum meat tray products in 2022.  Now we have made changes in our logistics department, with the introduction of a new, thinner material used for wrapping leading to a reduction in plastic by 84 tonnes,” shared Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.

The company’s warehouses started using a new type of wrapping foil last year, which resulted in an 84 tonne reduction in foil usage last year. As part of SPAR Hungary’s sustainability strategy they continue to extend their product range of goods that support sustainability. More and more of their products are made of recycled, biodegradable, or organic materials such as cane, wood, or paper. The number of recyclable plastic products have increased as well including cups, utensils, plates, and silicon lids. At the end of May the company stopped using the 100% plastic bags in their bakery sections and swapped to bags made almost entirely of paper.

From 12 May for 6 weeks, shoppers will be able to discover more than fifty new products from new suppliers in the Székesfehérvár and Zalaegerszeg regions in four INTERSPAR and eight SPAR stores in Budapest, where tastings will also be held to present the special quality food products produced in the region. 

When SPAR Hungary launched the Treasures of the Regions (Régiók Kincsei) project in 2021, it had the aim of supporting local small producers and meeting the needs of customers alike: with the programme, regional centres have been or will be established in six major cities – Székesfehérvár, Zalaegerszeg, Hódmezővásárhely, Nyíregyháza, Pécs and Győr – where micro and small enterprises can supply products to the retail chain.

The two regions presenting the new range of products this time include 24 small and medium-sized enterprises which together employ around 50 people and provide livelihoods for local families.

 “With this initiative, we are not only improving market access for small domestic producers, helping to develop the local economy and stimulate demand for regional products, but also creating the possibility for food products to reach consumers as quickly and efficiently as possible. This will not only improve the shopping experience, but also helps the environment by cutting transportation distances, reducing transport costs and getting sustainably-produced goods onto the shelves. The Treasures of Regions (Régiók Kincsei) initiative primarily provides tangible support to small family enterprises and private businesses trading with locally-produced agricultural products to take a step forward, also supporting the economic development of each specific region,” explained Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.

Shoppers will be identify these products from the red apple logo and the “Régiók Kincsei” (Treasures of Regions) label. Many of them will be displayed in selected stores in a thematic display, also showcasing foods produced in the Székesfehérvár and Zalaegerszeg regions. The products of the Székesfehérvár region will be available from 12 May to 1 June, while those of the Zalaegerszeg region will be available for three weeks from 2 June in selected SPAR and INTERSPAR stores in Budapest.

At the end of the aisles, a special top banner, flags and shelf strips will draw shoppers’ attention to the special goods which will include cheese waffles, wine, beer, pálinka fruit brandy, gin, eggs, pasta, mustard, ketchup, seed oil, crisps, neapolitaner wafer, honey cakes, crescent vanilla biscuits and pickles. These product ranges include real, cooked, Mediterranean-flavoured artisan mustard, artisan beer and artisan pasta.

The success of the Treasures of the Regions programme so far is also demonstrated by the fact that, in response to customer requests, the number of stores where the products are available in the Székesfehérvár region is being increased by 4 more locations.

Treasures of the Regions products are available in the following stores in Budapest from 12 May.

INTERSPAR hypermarkets:

1032 Budapest, Bécsi út 154. (GOBUDA Mall)

1191 Budapest, Üllői út 201.

1117 Budapest, Október 23-a utca 8-10.

1106 Budapest, Kerepesi út 61.

SPAR supermarkets:

1021 Budapest, Hűvösvölgyi út 138.

1118 Budapest, Rétköz utca 7.

1026 Budapest, Gábor Áron utca 74-78/A.

1025 Budapest, Törökvész utca 87-91.

1123 Budapest, Alkotás utca 53.

1024 Budapest, Lövőház utca 2-6.

1066 Budapest VI., Nyugati tér 1-2.

1097 Budapest, Könyves Kálmán krt. 12-14. (Lurdy Ház shopping centre)

SPAR Hungary is adding almost thirty new products including fresh meat and meat products, and to protect the environment they will reduce the amount of plastics in their packaging. Brand new “free from” products are hitting the shelves from the SPAR enjoy. convenience plant and they are also extending partnership with celebrity chef Jenő Rácz.

“SPAR Hungary is constantly working on providing customers with the best quality products. To achieve this, we need to be open to new things, react to the competitive market, understand ever-changing consumer trends, use the latest and most environmentally friendly production technologies, and grow our product range. The latter is an especially exciting task since it’s a long process originating with an idea through the stages of planning, production, testing and evaluating feedback until we achieve our goal. We only put the best possible food products in terms of price and value on our shelves. Our product development team is really flexible, always ready for challenge, and never shy away from new tasks even if they seem impossible at first glance,” said Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR.

SPAR Hungary is starting several new and exciting projects in 2022. They are developing nearly 30 new meat products in their Regnum Meat Processing Plants located in Bicske and Perbál. The partnership with celebrity chef, Jenő Rácz has been extended to provide customers with even more exciting culinary experiences. This partnership is based on a mutual appreciation of quality ingredients and the appetite for continuous improvement. In addition to the fresh beef and seasoned mince products introduced in last year’s campaign, this year’s focus will be on the quality pork products produced in the meat plant which will be seasoned using the chef’s special spice mixes. In cooperation with the talented chef, three new products will be added to the current range this year.  In cooperation with the chef, three new products will be added to the current range this year.

The company is planning to develop five new products in the plant in Bicske including red meat goods, spicy speck, and parboiled sausages. The factory in Perbál started major renovations in January including platform works, the expansion of the additive storage facility, lighting renovation, and window replacement. It will be producing 19 new products such as boiled and smoked speck and bacon, different types of brawn, blood sausages, and premium ham products. SPAR is continuously improving its production technologies in order to provide customers with the best quality meat and meat products. In the factory’s lab in Perbál they run several microbiological and analytical tests and experiments to ensure the quality and safety of production processes, and recently renewed their certification for the production of quality of organic fresh meat goods.

SPAR enjoy. – convenience is key

Since its inauguration in 2018, the SPAR enjoy. convenience product plant has produced an increasingly wide range of sandwiches and salads to each store of the retail chain. SPAR’s 1,500m2 convenience product factory which opened in 2018 is located in Üllő and they have been adding new products and machine line in recent years.

Their range of sandwiches and salads have also grown to offer a fast but quality food product. They have added a number of new “free from” products to their convenience line such as chicken stuffed with lactose-free cheese fried in gluten free batter, the vacuum-packed gluten-lactose-palm oil-free vegan coleslaw, and the Veggie corn salad. They are launching their hot-dog and vegetarian sandwich products and mayo based seasonal salads this year, as well as continuing to add new options to the current sandwich range.

From the award-winning sausage to the vegan burger

“We were able to build on last years’ developments, which received positive feedback from our customers, in process

of preparing our new offerings for 2022. Last February, we began producing dry food products in our meat factory in Perbál. The smoked sausages are made from pork we also use for producing salami and are available in two flavours: sweet or spicy paprika. We also have some award-winning products in our own branded range. Our Regnum sheep intestine sausage was named one of the best of its category in the Big Sausage Test (which only premium category products can enter) organized by the Made in Hungary Top Gastronomy Association. Some of the products made in our plants in Bicske and Perbál were granted the Hungarian Brand Trademark logo in November 2020 and got renewed again for 2021. This means that we currently have 16 products using this trademark. We introduced 22 new convenience products to our SPAR enjoy. line in our stores including burgers with our own branded meat patties, both regular and vegan, as well as the spicy cottage cheese spread, fried cold cut and chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, pulled pork sandwiches, low-carb ham sandwiches, pickle salads, and coleslaw,” – emphasised Márk Maczelka.

Less plastic in packaging

SPAR prioritises reducing plastic in its product packaging and product development teams are constantly looking for new solutions. With the Regnum Meat Plant meat trays, they reduce the amount of plastic used in the trays using a technology which still complies with storage and protective gas packaging regulations. Therefore, they will start using cling wrap which is 10% thinner than previous packaging. The new trays will be thinner than previous, but it won’t affect their stability. They make almost fifty different meat products at the plant in Bicske, such as fresh raw meats, raw and packaged minced meats, and grill products, all of which will be packaged using the new cling wrap. It means that SPAR will reduce their plastic waste by almost 13 500 kg in 2022, which will help protect the environment. They have plans to use a similar method to reduce the use of plastic with vacuum packaged goods. The group is constantly analysing possible new technologies which will help with the production of environmentally-friendly goods for its customers.