Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Insights into Our Private Label Manufacturing for Sustainable Brands
Being a benefit corporation means that “doing good” is a core part of our identity, and as a result, our private label manufacturing company can act purposefully at all states of decision making — balancing transparency and taking deliberate action to be an agent of positive impact for our planet, our people, and our community.
Creating resilient systems in the body, the community, and the natural world takes all of us.
As stewards of the Earth, we at FedUp Foods care about the intricate web of all living organisms and are mindful of our actions and our impact on the environment – to create a better future for all.
Why Reducing Our Carbon Footprint as a Private Label Manufacturer is Important to Us
Reducing our carbon footprint is essential to address the urgent global challenges of today and is the responsibility that corporations, individuals, communities, and nations share to ensure a sustainable and habitable future.
Reducing and being more mindful of our impact as a leading fermented beverage manufacturer is important to us for several critical reasons:
Combating climate change: The most pressing reason is to mitigate the effects of climate change. Excessive carbon emissions, primarily in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuels, contribute to global warming, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and disruptions to ecosystems. Reducing our carbon footprint is essential to slow down and ultimately halt these damaging effects.
Protecting human health: High carbon emissions are linked to poor air quality, which can lead to a range of health problems, including respiratory issues like asthma and cardiovascular diseases. By reducing carbon emissions, we can improve air quality and protect human health.
Preserving natural resources: The production and use of fossil fuels not only release carbon emissions but also deplete finite natural resources such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Reducing our carbon footprint through energy efficiency and renewable energy sources helps conserve these valuable resources for future generations.
Economic sustainability: Transitioning to a low-carbon economy can create jobs and stimulate economic growth. Investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable technologies can lead to new industries and opportunities while reducing reliance on fossil fuels, which are subject to price volatility.
Biodiversity conservation: Climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity. As temperatures rise and habitats change, many species face extinction. Reducing carbon emissions helps mitigate these changes and preserves ecosystems and biodiversity, which are vital for the health of the planet and all the creatures that inhabit it, including humans!
Every small step adds up and when businesses collectively work towards reducing their carbon footprint it contributes to a healthier planet for current and future generations. With sustainability at the heart of our processes here are some of the things we are doing to help the planet and reduce our carbon footprint.
Harnessing Renewable Energy Sources in our Private Label Manufacturing Processes
Our existing low-energy platform boasts a solar-powered system which supplements our energy, offsets our waste and feeds residual power back into the grid. Our current solar panel set up is an 18 kW system, producing about 20,000 kWh/year, which provides enough energy to support our 3,500 square foot walk-in cooler.
Coupled with our instant hot-water heaters and ERV system, the water used and the energy needed to ferment and bottle products is minimal. For example, a typical beer brewer uses 5-7 gallons of water to make (1) one gallon of beer. For contrast, we use 3 gallons of water to make (1) one gallon of Kombucha.
Prioritizing Regenerative Growers & Sustainable Suppliers
Everything is interconnected, and we are very mindful of our footprint, especially when it comes to sourcing. We prioritize using our buying power as a conduit for positive change – keeping the full supply chain in mind.
For example, motivated to make good on our sustainability mission, we redirected our glass business to a domestic manufacturer — reducing the carbon footprint of our glass procurement by up to 85%.
In addition, we’ve created an Environmental Purchase Policy which is built on an ethos that prioritizes regenerative growers, and sustainable suppliers — tapping into nature’s inclination toward abundance.This means that we give preference to suppliers that meet robust third-party social and environmental criteria, including the following:
- Regenerative Grow Methods
- Certified B Corporation
- Certified Organic
- LEED Certified
- Energy Star Certified
- Fair Trade Certified
- Preference is also given to independent, woman, and minority-owned suppliers physically located within 150 miles of our brewery, when price and quality are equal.
We’re proud of our partnerships with Global Organics Sugar and Teatulia and are proud to say both our tea and sugar are Fair Trade Certified and regeneratively grown. Fair Trade Certified™ is an award-winning, rigorous, and globally recognized sustainable sourcing model that improves livelihoods, protects the environment, and builds resilient, transparent supply chains.
Global Organics has a closed-loop sugarcane process that puts the focus on maintaining a healthy ecosystem, rather than maintaining a healthy crop; their sugarcane growth, production and shipping to the US is 100% carbon neutral. Read more about their work here.
The tea used in our products is sourced through Teatulia, from the Kazi & Kazi Tea Estate, in northern Bangladesh. Teatulia’s Tea Garden is operated by a co-op of women, and has been using regenerative agricultural practices for over three decades, transforming what was a barren land into a rich biodiverse ecosystem. Read more about their work here.
Investing in the Regeneration of Our Planet
Healthy forests give so much back to us: they clean our air and water, support health and biodiversity, stabilize our climate, and more. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner
and support the One Tree Planted coalition to help restore our forests both in Appalachia and across the globe. We donate a percent of our profits to One Tree Planted, because we believe replenishing the world’s forests is one step towards protecting our home planet. Our contributions in 2022 resulted in 5,000 trees planted!
We also proudly support the work of numerous environmental advocacy and action groups like EcoForesters and Institute for Mindful Agriculture and sponsor local events and organizations that promote food security, such as Bounty and Soul.
A Brighter Future For Everyone
We’re passionate and committed to doing the hard work, to evolve and change, and will continue to do this work because we believe in it and believe we can make a meaningful impact on the planet and communities we serve. We recognize that our journey wouldn't be possible without the unwavering support of our dedicated team, suppliers, growers, partners, and customers. Together, we're working towards a better future for everyone.
