Sustainability at Sakara
Eating plants is good for you and Mother Earth.
At Sakara, we care deeply about Mother Earth and are committed to making the right choices for the health of our clients and the environment. From the beginning, we've taken a critical eye to our food waste, packaging, and sourcing practices and looked for ways to be kind to the Earth.
We welcome your thoughts and reflections in helping us further reduce our environmental impact and educate our community. The journey to sustainability is a long one, but one we are devoted to, and we are grateful for your support and participation.
- Whitney & Danielle, Founders and Co-CEOs
How We're Working to Do Our Part
Eating Plants to Save the Planet
Nourish your body and the Earth at the same time. The Sakara nutrition program makes plant-based eating delicious and effortless—whether or not you’re among the 5% of our clients who identify as vegan. By helping all people include more plant foods in their diets, we are accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable eating.
Pound-for-pound, gallon-for-gallon, plant-based foods use vastly less water and emit less greenhouse gases than producing animal-based foods.
Minimizing Toxic Food Waste
Every year, the United States throws away over one-third of all the food it produces—133 billion pounds of food, or 20 pounds of food per person per month. This wasted food goes into landfills, where it releases methane gas into the atmosphere. It takes a head of lettuce about 25 years to decompose in a landfill. As part of our Zero Waste Initiative, we’re working to keep our food waste below 1%.
Here's what we're doing:
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1. Planning and buying accurately
Because our clients sign up for Sakara meal programs in advance, it allows us to plan ahead, order what we need, and reduce waste before it’s produced.
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2. Donating & composting
Sakara ingredients that don’t end up in your meals are donated or composted through partners, including City Harvest, Roho Compost and Wilenta Feed.
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3. Sourcing "imperfect foods"
We help others reduce their food waste by using produce that is perfectly good to eat, but is refused by grocery stores. These foods are nutritionally sound and are just as beautiful blended into a Sakara soup, sauce or salad dressing.
Supporting a Thriving Ecosystem
Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides and insecticides enter our soil each year. Pesticide contamination poses a threat to everything from soil to plants to animals. At Sakara, we try to make the most mindful and smart sourcing decisions to support Mother Earth.
Here's how we do it:
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1. Choosing Organic
We source organic produce and support farmers with responsible farming practices. These choices help to reduce pesticide and insecticide usage in our food system, saving our planet from toxic pollutants.
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2. Embracing Biodiversity
We incorporate over 300 unique ingredients into our menu each month, supporting a more diverse and resilient food ecosystem—one where a high variety and variability of plants, animals, microorganisms can call home.
Choosing thoughtful packaging
We spend a lot of time researching the latest packaging innovations to find the best option for both our clients and the environment.
We use cardboard boxes made from post-consumer recycled materials that are curbside recyclable, and #1 PET plastic meal containers because they are the most easily recycled and commonly accepted recyclable materials nationwide. They're also the best option for keeping Sakara meals safe and fresh in transit. The liners inside each box are made from recycled paper and corn starch and are now certified 100% curbside recyclable by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Unlike oil-based plastic liners, they use considerably less energy to produce (65% less than a Styrofoam cooler). Why not use compostable or plant-based plastic? Learn more in our FAQ.
Below, you'll find detailed instructions for recycling our packaging. Please contact us if you have any questions.
How to Recycle Our Packaging
The availability of recycling and composting facilities varies depending on where you live. Find your local options here and check with your local recycling program for exact instructions on how your community’s program works.
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1. Boxes
The delivery boxes, which are all made from recycled material, can be broken down and recycled curbside as part of standard paper recycling.
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2. Food Containers
Our clear food containers are #1 PET recycled plastic, which is commonly the easiest and most widely-accepted recycled material, and can be accepted curbside as part of standard plastic recycling. Be sure to rinse before recycling.
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3. Box Liners
Our box liners are made from corn starch and recycled paper, both widely-available and rapidly-renewable materials. The liners are certified 100% curbside recyclable by How2Recycle, a program of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Recycle the entire liner as is with your standard curbside paper recycling.
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4. Ice Packs
Our ice packs are non-toxic, water-soluble, drain-safe, and recyclable. To recycle, cut open plastic film and pour gel down your drain or into your trash. Recycle the plastic film with #4 plastics.