If you've ever had the pleasure of receiving an Equal Food hamper at your door, you've probably noticed the raw, organic feel they have. Free of Styrofoam or cellophane, meaning they don't come in any plastic packaging as is common in the food industry.
Just a cardboard box, sometimes with the odd unbleached paper bag, and a vibrant array of fresh fruits and vegetables waiting to be devoured. If you haven't experienced this pleasure yet, you can start thinking about it here .
At Equal Food we are transforming one of the biggest wastes in the food industry into a fully circular cycle:
In other words, the materials we use are designed with intention and moderation. On average, the packaging used in distribution accounts for between 5 and 10% of the total GHGs emitted throughout the life cycle of a food product.
In many cases, the materials used for packaging within the food industry have a worse environmental impact than the fuel used to grow and transport the food. That’s not to mention the plastic bags used to transport food, and the packaging itself in which the plastic bags are transported.
One of our biggest missions is to raise awareness about the impact our actions can have on the planet and our future. At Equal Food, we fight against food waste in the food industry without excluding sustainability, affordable and healthy food, and the fight against climate change.
The modern food industry has become a veritable Russian doll of plastic packaging. But at Equal Food we’re doing things differently, and changing that narrative.
The boxes we use are made from fully biodegradable cardboard, which has one of the smallest environmental footprints of all materials. The same goes for the paper bags we sometimes use to protect more delicate foods, such as mushrooms.
But that’s not all! In line with the fundamental principles of a circular economy, “reduce, reuse, recycle ”, we also encourage all our subscribers to return their empty boxes whenever the next one is delivered.
This way, we can reuse them as long as they remain functional. And although we may still need to buy new boxes from time to time, we recently identified an opportunity to use the very boxes in which we receive our Madeira bananas, allowing both the bananas and the cardboard to be saved from unnecessary waste!
It is important to understand how we can be as circular in our packaging within the food industry, reducing the ecological footprint of the distribution chain. As our products are local and seasonal, we reduce the footprint and bring the best colors and flavors to your doorstep.
But want to make sure Equal Food doesn't cause you an environmental headache?
Our values are intersectional and our mission against food waste ensures our commitment to sustainability.
There are three main ecological fronts in our sustainable fight against waste in the food industry. In addition to a plastic-free policy, based on the circularity of our biodegradable boxes and products, we defend the planet in 2 other ways:
1. Reducing the ecological footprint
At Equal Food we are committed to minimizing the ecological footprint of transporting our (im)perfect foods.
Did you know that using a grocery delivery service can cut your carbon dioxide emissions by up to half compared to a single trip to the supermarket? Most of the fuel and emissions savings come from delivering groceries within the same neighborhood, rather than making trips back and forth.
Therefore, we chose to invest in local and regional farmers and producers, and we designed our routes in an optimized way. In other words, we worked to shorten transportation times and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions.
In our work to reduce our ecological footprint, we also use deliveries made, in part, using electric vehicles. We work as distributors who also embrace change. Therefore, we think about and optimize our routes in order to emit the least possible emissions.
You can check all the delivery zones for our products here .
2. Sustainable partnerships
Regarding our partnerships with our local and regional farmers, we always ensure production with the greatest possible minimization of waste of water, soil and CO2 emissions used in its production. We seek to consolidate a sustainable value chain from our suppliers to the delivery of our products. If you want to know more about our farmers, their stories and how we work together, you can find more information here .