In Austin, Texas Snap Kitchen, an omnichannel fresh food retailer, has launched a rollout of compostable eco-friendly packaging materials as part of its efforts towards an more sustainable business model.

The new packaging will launch in 35 locations across Austin, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia. The organisation said that it made the decision to shift towards plant-based packaging as a step in reducing its environmental impact.

By making the switch from the current recyclable plastic trays to the new packaging, the company said that it expects to reduce its use of plastic by 500,000 lbs (227 metric tonnes) annually. Snap Kitchen also noted its commitment to donating all unsold food to local charities in each of its markets.

“We believe in clean eating for a cleaner earth and make every meal from scratch daily,” said Dale Easdon, CEO of Snap Kitchen. “Since inception, our commitment to locally-sourced products, responsibly-sourced meats and ingredients containing zero additives or GMOs has been paramount. We’re thrilled to round out our commitment to our customers by offering an eco-friendly container to remain a sustainable and eco-conscious company.”

To implement the change Snap Kitchen has partnered on the initiative with World Centric, a social and environmentally conscious manufacturer of compostable products that donates 25% of its profits to global grassroots social and environmental programs.

The company added that its move towards utilising eco-friendly packaging creates a global impact and provides benefits for its consumers who are conscious about their carbon footprint. With the energy that it previously took to create one petroleum plastic tray, five new compostable trays can be produced.

Additionally, the change to compostable trays will reduce Snap Kitchen’s carbon emissions from packaging manufacturing by 66%. T

Snap Kitchen concluded that the packaging will be microwave and oven safe and each dish will be equipped with proper heating instructions on their packaging label. The one-time use containers can be easily discarded in a compost bin or included in a conventional garbage canister as they contribute zero toxicity to the environment.

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