Better Earth achieves B Corp certification

Chicago-based compostable foodservice packaging company Better Earth has achieved B Corp certification, which signifies its dedication to transparency, social and environmental leadership and regenerative circularity within the restaurant and food service industries. 

As part of its B Corp certification, Better Earth is donating a portion of its profits to initiatives that promote regenerative agriculture, waste reduction and carbon drawdown. The company also has restructured its business to become a "Public Benefit LLC," formally incorporating its social and environmental mission. Better Earth says its leadership team, shareholders and employees are united in their commitment to foster a positive impact on the environment and society. 

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"Achieving B Corp certification is a significant milestone in our journey toward a sustainable future," Better Earth CEO Joseph Bild says. "Our comprehensive sustainability plan includes an Employee Equity program, cultivating the development of composting infrastructure and an unwavering commitment to reinvigorating the land that produces our packaging." 

Better Earth is expanding the availability of its Climate Smart Packaging line, specifically the Farmer's Fiber collection. According to Better Earth, this compostable foodservice packaging pursues domestic sourcing of perennial grasses that regenerate soil and sequester 1 ton of carbon per acre, per year. 

The Climate Smart Farmer's Fiber collection is made from a blend of renewable native perennial grasses, such as miscanthus, switchgrass and sorghum. These grasses improve soil health, sequester carbon and can be grown on underused land to boost farmers' income. The company says the line is produced through manufacturing processes that use nearly 60 percent clean renewable energy, with remaining emissions offset through the company's regenerative carbon offsets strategy in partnership with Cloverly. 

According to Better Earth, The Climate Smart Farmer’s Fiber collection supports more than 40 southeastern United States farmers and landowners with long-term contracts, aiding rural growth and job creation and a closed-loop system that includes commercial compostability of used packaging and manufacturing byproducts as compost to enrich agricultural land. 

"Achieving B Corp certification underscores Better Earth's steadfast vision and mission from the outset," Better Earth Vice President of Sustainability Savannah Seydel says. "The introduction of our Climate Smart Packaging collection marks just the beginning of our efforts to propel the foodservice industry towards a regenerative, circular future." 

Better Earth will exhibit the Farmer's Fiber Collection, along with its full line of 100 percent commercially compostable products, at the 2024 National Association-Food Services (NACUFS) Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, July 18-19.