Soupergirl becomes world’s first plastic-neutral soup company
Soupergirl, the all-natural, plant-based soup and gazpacho company, announced that it will become the world’s first soup company to go plastic neutral by recovering an equivalent amount of plastic from the planet for each pound it uses in packaging its soups.
In a unique partnership with rePurpose Global, Soupergirl will donate a portion of proceeds towards the removal of hard-to-recycle plastics, such as chocolate wrappers, chips packets, and similar flexible packaging items, that will equal the same amount of plastic that Soupergirl uses per year.
“Soupergirl’s humble mission has always been to save the world, one bowl of soup at a time,” said CEO Sara Polon. “Today, by going plastic neutral with rePurpose Global, we’re leading the way in lowering the plastic footprint of the soup industry.”
The program works by calculating Soupergirl’s unique plastic usage and providing tips to reduce virgin plastic use in its supply chain. Next, rePurpose Global assesses Soupergirl a fee that’s equivalent to $0.25 per pound of its total plastic-use footprint. Then, rePurpose funds vetted projects in India that remove at least as much plastic waste from nature as Soupergirl uses annually.
“It’s so refreshing to see Soupergirl push the boundaries on tackling the plastic waste problem,” rePurpose Global co-founder and chief impact officer Aditya Siroya. “We hope this pioneering move pushes more brands to take responsibility for their own plastic waste.”
In addition to going plastic neutral, Soupergirl announced that it will start running its flagship location in the Takoma Park neighbourhood of DC on 100% clean energy provided by Arcadia, a power service that sends renewable energy to businesses and homes through existing power lines. To reduce the carbon footprint overall, Soupergirl is offering a $10 gift card to customers who make the switch to clean energy. In addition, Arcadia will donate $25 to the DC Food Project for every customer who signs up, providing meals to food-insecure DC public school students and their families.
“By partnering with both rePurpose Global and Arcadia Power, we’re taking small steps to make a big impact on our planet. I hope our customers will join us in doing their part to slow the rate of climate change,” Ms Polon said.