Our Recycling Roots
We Know There’s a Plastic Problem
We’re an honest company, and we want to be transparent about the decisions we’ve made on this plastic journey. While we use plastic, we’ve made a concerted effort to reduce our use of plastics every day, from our packaging to processes.
Our clamshells and trays are made of 100% post-consumer recycled #1 plastic (PET or PETE), which is also one of the most widely accepted recyclable plastics. And our new plastic trays for our mixed lettuces use 30% less plastic than they did before.
In 2020 5,051,184 plastic water bottles were recycled into our plastic trays. The energy saved by using recycled plastic powered 23.5 U.S. homes, kept 27 cars off the road, and saved 276,657 greenhouse gas emissions!
Here are a few facts that are hard to swallow:
U.S. Data from 2018. According to the EPA
Million tons of waste produced
Million tons of waste in landfills
Million tons of plastic landfill waste
Why Do We Use Plastic?
We get this question a lot, and understand your curiosity! Our farmers work hard to ensure our lettuce is contaminant-free and nutritious (don’t forget pretty darn tasty). Our packaging protects our greens when they’re in transit and happily waiting on the shelf at your local grocery store; so you can trust that you’re eating safe, clean, good-for-you greens. We only use recycled plastic in our packaging because it utilizes less energy and resources, and can also be recycled into new uses!
Recycling helps the planet. It helps save natural resources and preserves clean land, air, water and the overall health of all living things (including you):
%
Less energy used
Gallons of oil saved
Per 1 ton of recycled plastic
Million BTU's of energy saved
Per 1 ton of recycled plastic
We’re Part of An Evolution Revolution
Through our sustainability mission, we aim to make thoughtful contributions and decisions for a better planet and the people who live on it. Just like our greens, we’re growing and will continue to evolve our company sustainable practices to be the best they can.
Right now, by using only 100% recycled #1 plastic, we hope to make a small difference; and we encourage everyone to make the shift to using recycled and recyclable plastics to ultimately eliminate the need for new plastic production.
If we all take small steps every day to reduce the amount of waste we produce, we can help protect the planet for generations to come.
Understanding The Numbers
These numbers indicate which plastics are recyclable and indicates what chemical compound of plastic is being used.
PET, PETE, RPET
Polyethylene Terephthalate
Used in plastic beverage bottles, microwavable food trays, and salad dressing bottles.
MOST COMMON FOR SINGLE-USE, AVOID HEAT
Widely Accepted
HDPE
High-Density Polyethylene
Used in milk bottles, shampoo and conditioner containers, toys, rope, piping, and detergents.
LOW RISK OF LEACHING
Widely Accepted
V, PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride
Used for vinyl flooring, window frames, detergent bottles, medical tubing, and pipes.
PHTHALATES INTERFERE WITH HORMONAL DEVELOPMENT
Rarely Accepted
LDPE
Low-Density Polyethylene
Used for squeezable bottles, clothes, frozen food, shopping bags, carpet, and cling wrap.
FLEXIBLE, MULI-PURPOSE
Rarely Accepted
PP
Polypropylene
Used in yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, and medicine bottles.
HIGH MELTING POINT
Moderately Accepted
PS
Polystyrene
Used for disposable plates and cups, egg cartons, trays, and aspirin bottles.
CAN LEACH TOXINS, AVOID HEAT
Rarely/Never Accepted
OTHER
Other PC Polycarbonate
Used for gallon water bottle, bullet-proof material, sunglasses, tech cases, and signs.
CAN LEACH TOXINS
Rarely/Never Accepted
Biodegradable & Compostable Plastics: Debunked
You’re probably wondering, why don’t we use biodegradable or compostable plastic?
We spent A LOT of time researching the many avenues of our packaging, and realized biodegradable and compostable plastics are not as environmentally-friendly as you might think.
Product packaging that is labeled “biodegradable” and “compostable” uses plant-based plastics (PLA), which misleads people to believe that the packaging is eco-friendly and will naturally break down.
But There Are A Few Important Things You Should Know:
These Plastics Can Be Just As Harmful to the Environment
When not recycled or disposed of properly, they are similar to conventional plastics.
These Plastics Don't Breakdown Naturally
Biodegradable and compostable plastics cannot be recycled at community recycling facilities, and cannot be composted in your backyard. They require specific conditions (temperature, moisture, and microorganisms) to be broken down at commercial composting facilities.
Biodegradable Plastics Should NOT be Composted
Biodegradable plastics contain additives that can contaminate your soil. The facilities needed to handle these types of plastics aren’t widely available yet. Unfortunately, these types of plastics end up as waste in the landfill, taking just as long to break down as conventional plastic.
