Plant-based brand No Evil Foods pledges become plastic negative

No Evil Foods is the latest company to establish a laudable and aspirational sustainability goal, committing to become plastic negative by remove two pounds of plastic for every one pound they generate through a partnership with rePurpose Global. The brand intends to accomplish this by funding the recovery and recycling of two pounds of plastic in northern India for each pound that the company generates as a part of their manufacturing process in the United States.

The company estimates that in the first year it will remove 8,000 pounds of plastic from the ecosystem, which amounts to two times the amount of plastic used to produce No Evil Foods' products.

No Evil Foods’ co-founder Sadrah Schadel said in a statement that plastic remains a necessary material for the company to create a safe product for consumers and, “Until viable alternatives exist, we will continue to seek ways to manage the impact of the creation of our products."

The North Carolina-located, plant-based meat brand already features packaging that is designed with sustainability in mind. Outside of the interior plastic wrappers to preserve product quality, the plant-based meat products are wrapped in a carton made from 100% compostable and recyclable materials and uses labels printed with plant-based ink and water-soluble adhesives.

Although the commitment to become a plastic negative company is a step farther than many other corporations have taken, No Evil Foods is not alone in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Last year, Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods said it became the first major food company to achieve carbon neutral status and is committed to reducing its environmental footprint in half by 2025. Nestlé is committed to achieving zero net greenhouse gasses by 2050, and last month, the Swiss company became an inaugural member of the Net Zero Initiative sponsored by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. This year, the U.K.’s Quorn began putting data on its labels related to the carbon footprint impact for 30 of its meatless products.

Companies across the board have been working to boost their green credentials as consumers demand more follow through on sustainability promises. A Greenpeace report last year analyzed more than 50 CPG companies and found that the majority fall short of their goals.

Consumers, however, are deeply committed to sustainability ideals as evidenced by the massive surge in the popularity of plant-based options, particularly following the onset of the pandemic. And shoppers' dedication to sustainability is not only relegated to the protein industry. Across the board, consumers have been shown to be willing to pay more for products that have sustainability claims and are able to transparently show the efficacy of these initiatives. Likely, should No Evil Foods be able to transparently communicate the effects of its plastic removal initiative, it will financially benefit from another demonstration of its commitment to the environment.