100+ Grocery Brands Commit to Tackling Plastic Pollution

Plastic action platform rePurpose Global has revealed that 102 brands retailing in grocery stores worldwide, such as SafeCatch, Hope Foods, Cocojune, Sunwink and MadeGood, have come together to combat plastic pollution. These brands will work with rePurpose Global to measure their plastic footprint and reduce plastic intensity, as well as to support global action preventing plastic waste from flowing into natural ecosystems. 

Plastic pollution, apart from contributing to climate change, threatens food safety, coastal lands and human health, but according to rePurpose Global, achieving an 80% reduction in global plastic pollution by 2040 is possible. 

The first step is to eliminate the unnecessary use of plastics, such as redesigning the way that products are delivered to avoid plastic packaging. The second is to accelerate the market for plastic recycling by ensuring that it becomes a stable, reliable and profitable option. Lastly, efforts should also focus on retrieving plastic already in the environment. Even if all reduction goals are met, rePurpose Global said that only a 7% reduction in plastic leakage into the oceans by 2040 is expected. The brands working with rePurpose Global are actively implementing solutions to reduce their plastic intensity, as well as to finance the recovery and removal of plastic waste in vulnerable coastal regions worldwide. 

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“Our values of good vibes, uncompromised nutrition and bettering our planet are at our core,” said Emily Griffith, CEO of Chicago-based Lil Bucks. “Action begins now, and I am so thrilled to partner with and support rePurpose Global, as they perfectly align with our mission. Pursuing packaging sustainability is a journey, and even though we still have to use plastic now, this is a great step forward.”

“Our philosophy of ‘Do Good By Doing Good’ sits at the core of our business. Our innovative supply chain mirrors that, but we have always been cognizant of our plastic footprint and how traditional recycling doesn’t solve this immediate crisis. Partnering with rePurpose, we can now measure our exact footprint, recover and recycle an amount of plastic that is equivalent to our packaging,” said Bala Sarda, founder and CEO of Vahdam Teas, whose U.S. office is in Covina, Calif.

The compete list of the grocery brands helping combat the plastic pollution crisis can be found here.

These 102 companies in the grocery segment have collectively enabled rePurpose Global to recover more than 2.5 million pounds of plastic waste annually from entering natural environments across Indonesia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. By contributing to rePurpose Impact Projects, these brands have helped deliver critically lacking waste collection services to underserved communities, accelerate the feedstock availability of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials and support the livelihoods of more than 1,200 waste workers worldwide. 

Svanika Balasubramanian, CEO of New York-based rePurpose, added: "We are excited to see our partners in the grocery and retail industry taking proactive steps to address the plastic pollution crisis. Their commitment to reducing plastic sets a remarkable example for others in the industry. We hope that by putting a spotlight on plastic reduction and plastic alternatives that have the potential to turn the tide on plastic pollution, we reach zero plastic pollution even sooner.”