At Earthbound Farm, we’re committed to seeking sustainability in all parts of our business, and a key part of that initiative is reducing waste wherever possible. Recently we’ve realized a longtime goal by switching to 100% post-consumer recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PCR PET) plastic for all our clamshell packages. We’re the first in our industry to do so, and we’ve been recognized by the Produce Marketing Association with their 2009 Impact Award for Environment and Sustainability.
Many food and nonfood containers are made from PET because it’s light, shatter-resistant, safe, and recyclable. While virgin PET is made primarily from natural gas, post-consumer recycled PET is made from plastic products, like soda or water bottles, that were previously used and then recycled. PCR PET requires significantly less energy and water to produce, generates far fewer greenhouse gases than virgin plastic, and diverts reusable materials out of the waste stream.
At our annual usage, compared to using virgin plastic, our switch to PCR PET for our clamshell salad packages will:
- Save 424,224 million BTUs (MMBTUs) of energy
- Avoid 16,191 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
- Save 68,307 gallons of water
- Keep 1,308,623 pounds of solid waste out of the landfill
We believe that using and creating a market for post-consumer recycled materials like PET (known as “upcycling” — turning waste materials into useful products) is one of the best sustainability options available today. There are many opportunities to create a larger market for PCR materials and help reduce the burden on our landfills; we hope that other companies will see the value in adopting packaging with PCR content, and that consumers will seek out PCR packaging when they shop.
PET is the most-recycled plastic material, but statistics show that we could be doing much better in recycling such valuable waste. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, of the nearly 6 billion pounds of PET packaging waste Americans generated in 2007 (the most recent year for these stats), only 23 percent was recycled into new products — leaving over 4.5 billion pounds of usable PET languishing in landfills.
Take a look at the lifecycle of post-consumer recycled PET plastic:
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To find a recycling center near you that accepts PET (#1) plastic and other recyclables, check out the searchable database at Earth911.com.
 To increase awareness of the environmental benefits of PCR packaging, we’ve redesigned the label on our clamshell salad containers that calls out the post-consumer content of the package. Our containers are already made from PCR plastic, but the new labels make our PCR symbol easy to see.
 For the back side of those new labels, we’ve developed our Kids’ Quote Contest. Kids ages 17 and under can submit quotes that complete the sentence, “Thank you for choosing organic — it matters to me because…” Winners will receive a $500 US Savings Bond for college, plus a $500 donation in their name to help the environment — and their winning quote will appear on the new labels on our clamshell salad containers! Learn more and enter to win.
Since Earthbound Farm began in 1984, we’ve always had a big commitment to protecting the environment and the health of those who enjoy our harvest. On the top right side of this page, you’ll see links to lots of great information about the choices we make as a company to reduce our environmental impact, and about ways even individuals can make choices that make a difference. Other pages on our site can tell you more about our commitment to sustainable organic farming:
- The Earthbound Farm Story: How it all began
- Our Mission: The benefits of organic food and an organic mission
- Why Organic: What makes organic the healthiest choice for people and the planet
- Learn More: Read our news release about our switch to PCR plastic for our clamshell salad containers (PDF)
And always, we invite you to let us know what you think! |
