New York City-area online grocer FreshDirect is shining a spotlight on upcycling for this Earth Month.
Upcycling is the practice of repurposing materials that would have otherwise gone unused and is a major innovation in sustainability for the food industry.
FreshDirect's says its dedication to sustainability extends beyond this month's observance and upcycling initiatives and encompasses its four whole animal programs, an emphasis on controlled environment agriculture and indoor farming, and the efficiency systems implemented in its warehouse. These efforts aim to tackle food waste, reduce energy consumption and mitigate other environmental impacts associated with the food industry.
FreshDirect is celebrating entrepreneurs in upcycling and their contributions to the world of food, according to a news release:
- RIND achieved full Upcycled and Non-GMO certifications for its products, consistent with its focus on using rescued, cosmetically imperfect, fruit that would otherwise go to waste and by using as much of the whole fruit as possible, particularly the most nutritious layer, the rind. Since 2020, the company has helped to eliminate over 1 million pounds of fruit from ending up in landfill and has established a goal of 10 million pounds saved by 2025
- Harmless Harvest partnered in the launch of the Regenerative Coconuts Agriculture Project, which seeks to develop and implement a regenerative agriculture model for coconuts in Thailand. The company diverted coconut meat waste from landfill by blending it into its yogurt and smoothie products. Harmless Harvest has Upcycled certification, confirming that it uses ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains and have a positive impact on the environment.
- Matriark Foods, launched in 2020 and an honoree of FreshDirect’s RIPE Incubator Program, is an environmental-impact food company tackling the $1 trillion food waste problem by producing certified Upcycled products for foodservice, retail and emergency food. In 2022, the company launched the carbon-neutral, Upcycled-certified tomato sauces. The company conducts full life-cycle analyses on all its products. Results from Planet FWD's LCA found that Matriark sauces have 37% lower emissions per carton due to the use of upcycled ingredients and lower emissions packaging compared to conventional sauce-in-glass packaging. Matriark is led by its founder Anna Hammond and Joyce Huang who, before starting Matriark, built a healthy eating program for youth and families living in public housing in New York City.
FreshDirect says it has also embraced upcycling in its own kitchen and bakery, finding ways to use all parts of ingredients — everything from cauliflower cores, fennel tops and even pieces of salmon.
These parts of the ingredients are typically left behind in most kitchens. FreshDirect has been finding creative, and delicious, ways to avoid food waste through these upcycled baked goods, meal kits and recipes, the release said.
FreshDirect says it showcases its commitment to sustainability by offering a variety of creative options that repurpose food waste. For example, its Cauliflower Puree with Kale Pesto uses cauliflower cores, saving approximately 145 pounds of food monthly, the release said.
Additionally, the company's Banana Bread and Mini Banana Chocolate Chip Pound Cake repurpose just-past-ripe bananas, saving around 1,600 bananas monthly, and its Meal Kit for Thai-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps with Rice and Cucumber uses pork trimmings, saving about 135 pounds of food monthly, according to the release.