Imperfect Foods broadens sustainability goals

E-commerce grocery service Imperfect Foods has made a pledge to become a net-zero carbon company by 2030.

The company recently announced an expansion of its private label goods as it grows its overall grocery operation. The company began in 2015, getting misshapen or unwanted produce out to consumers homes to limit food waste. Imperfect Foods’ goal was to eliminate 40% of food thrown away in the United States annually. 

Adding to its sustainability goals, the San Francisco-based company aims to eliminate further waste and more. By 2030, Imperfect Foods will rescue one billion pounds of food, have its first facility certified zero-waste-to-landfill operational by 2022, and have a total of six certified zero-waste-to-landfill facilities in three years.

Additionally, Imperfect Foods is working to convert all six of its fulfillment centers to be operating on 100% renewable energy by 2026. In 2022, the company converted its largest fulfillment center in Los Angeles to run entirely on solar power. It also has a goal to be operating an electric vehicle fleet by 2027.

Lastly, looking to improve its sourcing, the company pledged to improve its local sourcing by 15% to reduce the number of trucks on the road and maintaining a weekly delivery schedule to each zip code to limit carbon emissions.

"We partnered with Watershed, the leading software platform for running a world-class climate program, to measure our carbon footprint so we know exactly which parts of our business emit greenhouse gases and from there, redesigned our business operations to reach our goal," said Imperfect Foods' head of sustainability Maddy Rotman "We've already done a tremendous amount of work to source our products sustainably, but the time has come for us to bring that same rigor and mission-driven focus to our operating model. The grocery industry's effects on climate change are undeniable, which was illuminated in our trend report findings, and this commitment is a crucial next step in leading the industry forward."

Imperfect Foods said the food system accounts for nearly a fourth of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The e-tailer has produced a trends report, available here, that delves further into its goals and grocery plans for the years ahead, including private label.