At Forager Project, we’re always looking for ways to tread more lightly on the earth while still delivering delicious, nourishing plant-based foods. Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond our ingredients–it’s woven into every aspect of what we do, including our packaging.
Today, we want to explore why eco-friendly food packaging is so important and how it aligns with our commitment to sustainability. As we dive into this topic, we’ll look at the environmental benefits of sustainable packaging choices and how they contribute to a healthier planet. Join us as we unpack the significance of mindful packaging in the food industry and its potential to create positive change.
Let’s face it–the food industry has a packaging problem. Each year, millions of tons of plastic, paper, and other materials end up in landfills and oceans after briefly protecting our snacks and drinks. Much of this packaging is difficult or impossible to recycle, leading to mounting waste.
As a company founded on principles of environmental stewardship, we knew we had to do better. But finding sustainable packaging solutions that still keep food fresh and safe is no easy task.
As we consumers become more environmentally conscious, sustainable packaging is no longer just a nice-to-have–it’s essential. Here’s why.
Sustainable packaging plays a crucial role in addressing multiple environmental challenges. By opting for eco-friendly materials and designs, we can significantly reduce our waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and overall carbon footprint, preventing vast amounts of packaging from polluting our landfills and oceans. This approach often requires fewer raw materials and less energy to produce, helping conserve our planet’s finite resources.
Beyond the environmental benefits, choosing products with sustainable food packaging allows you, as a conscious consumer, to vote with your dollar for a healthier planet. When you select brands that prioritize eco-friendly packaging, you’re supporting a vision for a more sustainable future. Plus, as more people make these choices, it sends a powerful message to the entire food industry, encouraging wider adoption of earth-friendly practices. By opting for sustainably packaged goods, you become part of a growing movement that’s pushing for positive change, one purchase at a time.
While we’re proud of our packaging choices, we believe in complete transparency about the complexities of sustainable packaging. It’s important to understand that there’s no perfect “silver bullet” solution in food packaging – every option comes with its own set of tradeoffs.
While compostable packaging often seems like the perfect eco-friendly solution, the reality is more complex. Most regions still lack the specialized industrial composting facilities required to break down these materials properly. Even when facilities exist, many “compostable” items won’t actually biodegrade in home composting systems, leading to confusion and improper disposal.
Beyond the processing challenges, these materials face practical hurdles. Some can’t withstand certain temperatures or moisture levels, potentially compromising food safety and shelf life. This illustrates a crucial point in sustainable packaging: what works in theory doesn’t always translate to real-world conditions.
Instead of waiting for perfect solutions, we believe in making progressive improvements using existing systems. Our choice to use recyclable PET plastic isn’t just about convenience – it’s about leveraging established recycling infrastructure to create an immediate positive impact. When recycled properly, our packaging enters a closed-loop system, reducing the need for virgin materials.
Different products require different packaging solutions based on:
While we continue improving our packaging sustainability, we believe honest conversations about these challenges help drive real progress. Perfect shouldn’t be the enemy of good – we’re committed to making meaningful improvements while being transparent about the complexities involved.
We’ll be the first to admit that sustainable packaging isn’t always the easy choice. Some of the challenges that sustainable packaging faces include:
Despite these hurdles, we remain committed to continually improving our packaging. We believe it’s worth the extra effort to reduce our environmental impact.
At Forager Project, we believe every small step toward sustainability contributes to a larger journey toward a healthier planet. Our commitment to the environment is reflected in every aspect of our operations, including our packaging choices.
We’ve designed our packaging with the environment in mind:
We’re taking significant steps to reduce our reliance on virgin plastics:
Based on our 2024 run rates, these changes will prevent over 500,000 pounds of virgin plastic from entering the system annually.
Our commitment to the environment extends beyond packaging. We sustainably source key ingredients like cashews and oats, minimizing our environmental impact from farm to table. All our products carry organic certification, meaning we produce our foods without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically engineered ingredients. We keep things simple and natural, avoiding artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.
By choosing Forager Project products, you’re supporting an organization that prioritizes sustainability at every step, from our recyclable packaging to our clean, plant-based ingredients. You can amplify our impact by:
Together, we can create lasting change and move toward a more sustainable future, nourishing both you and the planet.
We believe that every choice we make–from the foods we eat to the packaging we use–has the power to create positive change for the planet. We’re continually grateful to have a community that cares as deeply about sustainability as we do.
By choosing products in eco-friendly packaging, asking companies to do better, and properly recycling or composting, you can help drive the shift towards a more sustainable food system. Together, we can reimagine packaging from a source of waste into a force for good.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on sustainable food packaging. What eco-friendly innovations have you seen? What challenges do you face in recycling or composting? Thank you for joining us on this journey towards a healthier planet, one package at a time. Here’s to foraging for a better future, together.
Shop our full range of plant-based products and join the eco-friendly food revolution today!
Sources
Science Direct – Untangling the underlying drivers of the use of single-use food packaging
ecoswap – Are Sustainable Products More Expensive?
Science Direct – Designing Plant-Based Smart Food Packaging Solutions for Prolonging Consumable Life of Perishable Foods
Cruz Foam – The Crucial Role of Composting Facilities in the Rise of Compostable Products
