An Unforgettable Earth Day

On this 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, we, like so many others, wanted to have a shiny thing to share with you.

I mean, our entire mission is to create a better earth, right?

And in fact, for the last year we’ve worked tirelessly and passionately to make that happen, including but not limited to:

1. Reducing our corporate waste to near zero;

2. Engaging partners throughout our supply chain to further lower our products’ environmental footprints;

3. And partnering with incredible organizations like the Ocean Heroes Bootcamp to empower our youth to participate in the design process of our upcoming plant-based school lunch tray.

All of these initiatives are worth celebrating. 

But then there was COVID-19. And in the blink of an eye, the world changed.  

We watched friends get sick and businesses struggle or fold. 

We watched restaurants forced into painful decisions, including forgoing strong-held values and sustainability goals to make do in these difficult times. 

And we watched the domino effect of single-use plastic ban repeals across the country to provide justifiable relief and options for the foodservice industry — rolling back years of effort by so many fighting plastic pollution. 

At Better Earth, we believe no one should have to choose between keeping the lights on and saving our planet. So this Earth Day, we want to share our commitment to you — our customers, community, and our planet — that we will continue to do whatever we can to ensure sustainable packaging remains accessible and affordable, no matter the circumstances. 

Why?

Because access leads to participation. 

And participation leads to more questions, more answers, and, hopefully, continuously better solutions.  

Because ultimately, it will take all of us to realize the regenerative economy we desperately need to address climate change and protect our future generations. 

So right now, we are exercising this commitment to you through our Sustainable Packaging Relief Program for the Greater Atlanta Region, in partnership with the Georgia Restaurant Association. We are proud to offer a select variety of our products at a subsidized community rate for our neighbors that desperately need them.

And here’s how we’ll continue to live and breathe this commitment:

1. Walk the talk by lowering our environmental footprint;

2. Close the loop between our products and their rightful home, the compost pile, through investments and partnerships with the composting community and through education and advocacy;

3. Help advance our regenerative future through new innovations and efficiencies that lower our products’ environmental footprint and cost; engaging and educating our supply chain; and supporting others in the movement. 

We’ll hope you join us in this movement and encourage you to support the restaurants that are continuing to courageously prioritize sustainability while fighting for their businesses. Over the next month, we will be highlighting a few of the restaurants doing exactly that.

Happy Earth Day (although every day should be Earth Day). ?

Savannah Miller

VP of Sustainability & Impact