At Sun & Swell, we are thinking about the entire life cycle of our products. All the way from how and where they're grown to the ultimate end of life and how and where they are disposed of. We don't have everything right, but we're thinking about it and this process is completely integrated into our business model. As a consumer you are part of this circular system and we believe the more transparency and knowledge consumers are armed with the better. So we are sharing a very simplified model of our circular system. We hope this inspires other companies to think about the beginning and end of life of their products and arms consumers with the knowledge to ask questions and to start holding companies accountable for the entire life cycle of the products they are putting out into the world.
Organic ingredients sourced from farms
We care and invest in sourcing ingredients that are grown with the earth and our health in mind. We only source 100% certified organic ingredients from farms who hold high standards for quality and the environment. We prioritize working directly with farms in order to be closer to the source of the food, bringing you fresher ingredients and having a personal relationship with farmers. Learn more about our sourcing standards here. In this upcoming year, we are excited to explore Regenerative Organic Certified ingredients and work with our current farmers to see how they can incorporate these practices into their current operations.
Ingredients packaged in 100% compostable packaging
Next, we package the ingredients we source in 100% compostable packaging. When we transitioned to compostable packaging it was simply because we did not want to be another company that contributed to the incomprehensible amount of single-use plastic packaging that is used once and then ends up in the landfill, natural environment, or waterways to pollute our environment and end up in our foods, drinking water, and even the air. These plastics cause environmental and human health issues. So we use plant-based packaging that is free from BPA and Phthalates (both endocrine disruptors found in plastic packaging) and turn back into nutrient-rich soil when composted.
Packaging is composted and turned back into nutrient rich soil
Next we consider the end of life of our packaging. Our customers enjoy our nutrient-rich, healthy, and delicious foods and then they can compost the bags these ingredients came in. We have several options for disposal of our bags and we are fully aware that the composting waste system is not where it needs to be to make this end of life disposal easy and convenient for consumers. Learn more about options for end of life of our compostable bags here. Find an industrial composter near you here. We started the Sun & Swell Send-Back Program in 2020 to offer a solution to customers without access to composting. You can send us back your bags and we will compost them for you! We have an amazing partner, Soil Cycle, that we send the bags to. They are essentially a large scale home compost in Montana - check out more about them more here.
Soil returned to earth to enrich top soil and start the cycle again
Top soil is necessary for keeping land fertile and able to grow food and the more we protect it by using organic and regenerative agriculture practices the better. When we compost our bags, we also produce nutrient rich soil that can be returned back to the earth and used to grow more food.