We're Plastic Neutral Certified by rePurpose Global

Farmer Direct Organic recognizes the enormous environmental cost of plastic. Given this, we're dedicated to being part of the plastic solution, eliminating plastic from our product packaging and the environment. This is why we've made the decision to become Plastic Neutral Certified through rePurpose Global, the world's most trusted plastic credit program. This means Farmer Direct Organic is offsetting the plastics we put into the environment by supporting rePurpose Global's work to take it out. 

Specifically, Farmer Direct Organic has chosen to collaborate with RePurpose Global in support of impact project Anant Pranay. This project works with a women-owned business in Aurangabad, India to collect and ethically process low-value, soft plastic packaging waste that would otherwise been dumped in overflowing and hazardous landfills.

According to a 2020 study published in Science Advances, the United States generated more plastic trash than any other country — 46.3 million tons of it. That's 287 pounds per person in one year (see "The Big Problem with Plastic", Consumer Reports, Sept. 8, 2021). 

Not only are plastics made mostly from fossil fuels, but only a small percentage get recycled. Most plastic ends up in landfills, incinerated or littered. This creates a massive trash problem and a multitude of health problems, such as chronic inflammation. This is because plastic breaks down into microplastics that end up in our bodies and build up over time.

While many companies aren't talking about their plastic packaging dilemmas, or even seeing it as a problem, transparency and environmental stewardship are important values at Farmer Direct Organic. Consequently, we believe it's important for consumers to understand why our bags aren't compostable. 

The honest answer is that today we're lacking affordable compostable packaging options that don't significantly increase the price of our products, making them less desirable and competitive. Today, our best plastic-free option is for our customers to buy our products in bulk. But we know that's not available to everyone.

Is offsetting our plastic usage the ideal solution? No. However, we do believe it's the best approach right now to the massive plastic packaging dilemma facing us. We challenge companies of all sizes to join us in being transparent about their packaging challenges, how they are pushing to be better, and supporting rePurpose, which is a financial investment that's well-worth making. 

Farmer Direct Organic is whole-heartedly committed to pushing for plastic-free packaging options that don't exponentially drive up the cost of our products, as our long-term goal is to eliminate plastic packaging. 

To determine your own plastic footprint, visit https://repurpose.global/survey.