HelloFresh Tackle Plastic Pollution Whilst Helping Communities
HelloFresh has partnered with Plastic Bank to fight the global plastic issue we are facing, who have stopped 1 billion bottles of ocean plastic through their regenerative society. The Plastic Bank organisation builds recycling ecosystems in coastal communities, where they then reprocess the materials for reintroduction into new products. This is not only incredible for the planet, but also for people’s lives. The scheme then allows collectors of plastic to receive a premium for the materials that they collect, helping to fund basic family needs.
With Plastic Bank, HelloFresh has set up three plastic collection centres in Indonesia. Once collected by local community members, a premium is exchanged. The plastic found in the ocean is then repurposed back into social plastic – ‘ethically recovered plastic that fights ocean pollution while improving the lives of those who help collect it.’ This is enabling HelloFresh to reduce plastic pollution whilst supporting over 560 families in need of basic necessities to live.
Tilman Eichstaedt, Global Vice President for Supply, Product and Sustainability at HelloFresh has said “With this partnership, we commit to preventing 750,000 kilograms of plastic, an equivalent of 37.5 million plastic bottles, from entering the oceans until the end of 2023 while supporting vulnerable communities.”
Who Are HelloFresh?
HelloFresh was founded in 2011, and has now become a leading meal-kit provider globally. Not only have they undertaken this incredible partnership, but they are also reducing plastic packaging wherever possible. Where plastic must be used in packaging foods, the team is ensuring that the items used are certified recyclable materials to boost their mission of a circular packaging process.
Along with their green approach to packaging, HelloFresh makes sure that as little food is wasted as possible. This has become possible through their make-to-order business model, with their operations generating 82%* less food waste than traditional food retailers. The company is also monitoring and reducing its carbon emissions, with their production facilities emitting 82% less CO2 per euro of revenue than traditional food retailers. This is then followed in their transportation process, where they manage delivery routes by limiting trips and shipping in batches to increase efficiency.
Fighting Plastic Pollution
Just 9% of all plastic is recycled. A frightful amount that has a huge impact on the planet. Whilst items such as plastic bottles face such little recycling rates, much of this plastic waste ends up in landfills and pollutes our environments. The worrying effects from here come from the toxic gas emissions released, along with damaging flourishing wildlife and contaminating our soils. However, when huge brands with incredible resources step into help such as HelloFresh, we can see phenomenal results in driving sustainability: An enormous 37.5 million plastic bottles saved from the ocean to be exact!
