Cover Image: Bumblebee pollinating the Georgia Tech Community Garden.
Table of Contents
1 3
Leading the Industry
9
19 A Note to Our Community
31
Earning B Corp Certification
Advancing the Industry
Partners & Progress
Advancing Systems & Making Circularity Possible
Closing the Loop at the Source
Closing the Loop with Our Customers
Closing the Loop with Composters
43
Products
51
Fostering a Regenerative Workplace
A Spirit of Inclusivity
Investing Holisically
Compostable Packaging as a Catalyst
Contributing New Solutions Farmer’s Fiber
Reducing Carbon Footprint Certifications
Planet
Conserving Resources
Integrating Waste Management
Evolving for Efficiency
Appendix
Accountability Matrix UN Global Compact SDGs
Resources People
Engaging Our Community Donation Spotlight
“ We remain steadfast in our belief that regenerative circularity is not only possible — it is essential.”
At Better Earth, we know the challenges we face are immense. From the climate crisis to global plastic pollution to the health of the soil on which our food systems depend, the foodservice industry has a critical role to play in shaping a healthier, more resilient planet. And this is why we remain steadfast in our belief that regenerative circularity is not only possible — it is essential.
This year, transparency has been at the forefront of our efforts to advance meaningful change across the food industry, among our consumers, and for the planet.
Recognizing it is not enough to claim sustainability, we dedicated 18 months to achieving B Corp certification, ensuring accountability and purpose are embedded into the core of our business. This process was both challenging and clarifying, driving us to thoroughly evaluate our practices across our leadership, our team, our community, and the environment.
We launched a compost drop-off search engine to help consumers and businesses identify local composting options and close the loop on packaging and food waste. Additionally, our acquisition of BetterBin, a waste education tool, enables us to simplify waste sorting for communities and
provide actionable data to improve diversion rates. By empowering our partners and consumers with these tools, we are eliminating barriers to regenerative circularity.
We also took steps to improve our environmental impact. A Life Cycle Assessment we began in 2023 to analyze the environmental footprint of our molded fiber collection found that these products store carbon within their structure, which, when composted, returns to the soil rather than releasing into the atmosphere. These results not only affirmed the impact and value of our plant-based packaging, but also set the foundation for building carbon reduction plans across our product lines.
In this report, you will find the full story of our impact this past year — where we have succeeded, where we have grown, and where we will improve. Transparency is not just a word to us. It is how we establish accountability, foster trust, and inspire collaborative action across our industry. From our suppliers and customers to our team, together, we are building a future where the foodservice industry leads with sustainability and where circularity is the standard, not the exception.
Thank you for joining us in building a Better Earth.
~ Savannah Seydel VP of Sustainability
LEADING THE INDUSTRY
Earning B Corp Certification
Better Earth is on a mission to make sustainability accessible and regenerative circularity achievable across the foodservice industry.
To demonstrate our commitment to this mission, we undertook the comprehensive process of becoming a Certified B Corporation with the support of the University of Georgia Terry Business School and Profitable Purpose Consulting. This process required us to evaluate and improve our impact across governance, workers, community, environment, and customers— the five key pillars that make up
the B Corp score. Companies must meet a minimum verified score of 80 points across these areas to achieve certification, demonstrating high standards of social and environmental performance. We will continue to recertify every three years to reflect our advancements as a purpose-driven company, with the goal of raising our score by at least four points in 2027. B Corp Qualification:
Image Left: Perrenial grasses before harvest for the Better Earth Farmer’s Fiber Collection.
Previous Image: Eggplant growing in Georgia Tech Community Garden.
Image Left: Genera Mill Silos Venore, TN
Advancing the Industry
Through stakeholder partnerships, policy advocacy, direct funding of composting projects, and support of community-scale operations, this year marked significant progress across the composting and organics recycling industry.
• From Data to Dirt: Better Earth’s comprehensive review of national compost infrastructure identified approximately 1,000 composters, haulers, and drop-off locations, shedding light on critical gaps and opportunities for expansion.
• Federal Funding Gains Momentum: The EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program alone awarded more than $44 million to 33 projects focused on organics recycling, composting, and anaerobic digestion in 2023, accelerating investment in sustainable waste solutions.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Expands: EPR policies continued to gain traction, with California, Colorado, and Oregon leading the charge. Both Colorado and Oregon remain on track to begin fee collection in 2025, reinforcing accountability for sustainable packaging.
PARTNERS & PROGRESS
Image Left: Genera Mill Silos Venore, TN
Image Above: Better Earth Customer, Roti, serving Mediterranean food in a BPI Certified square better bowl.
Previous Image: Raised beds at the Georgia Tech Community Garden.
Advancing Systems & Making Circularity Possible
At Better Earth, we know we can’t build a regenerative circular economy alone.
Closing the loop on compostable packaging requires deep collaboration with partners across the entire value chain — from manufacturers and composters to foodservice operators and institutions. Together, we’re advancing the systems that make circularity possible, proving that when we invest in shared solutions, impact extends far beyond our operations.
Closing the Loop at the Source
Our Farmer’s Fiber® Collection begins with the land.
Sourced from more than 75 US famers since the start of the program, the deeprooted perennial grasses grown for the Farmer’s Fiber Collection support domestic manufacturing and soil restoration — with the agricultural process alone sequestering approximately one ton of carbon per acre per year.
In 2024, we took the next step toward regeneration by sourcing 100 cubic yards of compost from The Compost Co., a Tennessee composter that processes food scraps and compostable packaging, and collaborating with our manufacturing partner to apply the compost to a sample plot of the grasses that comprise Farmer’s Fiber. This pilot program is designed to study the benefits of compost in commercial agriculture, including improvements to soil
health, carbon sequestration, crop yield and quality, fertilizer reduction, and an overall cost-benefit analysis.
As the pilot unfolded, we immediately faced the reality that while compost application has clear environmental benefits, it also carries significant economic and logistical challenges for farmers. From the cost of logistics to the complexities of integrating application into farm operations, we saw firsthand why large-scale adoption remains limited.
This insight propelled Better Earth to invest in systemic solutions.
To help address these barriers at scale, we are committing 1% of revenue from our Farmer’s Fiber Retail Collection to Zero Foodprint, a national nonprofit driving
regenerative agriculture forward by funding compost application and soil health projects on farms across the country.
Zero Foodprint pools contributions from across the food system and channels them directly to farmers, helping cover the costs of climate-beneficial practices like compost application, while advancing the infrastructure and policies needed to make them widespread and economically viable.
Together, we are proving what is possible when we pair on-the-ground action with systems-level investment. Through this partnership, we’re not only supporting our own supply chain — we’re building a regenerative future for farmers, composters, and communities everywhere.
Image: Georgia Tech Community Garden overlooking the Atlanta skyline.
Closing the Loop with Our Customers
Since 2018, Georgia Tech Dining has diverted over 3 million pounds of food scraps from landfills.
This diversion has been successful through its partnership with CompostNow, the campus’s local organics recycling partner, and with support from Better Earth’s compostable packaging. Together, this collaboration keeps Georgia Tech’s dining operations circular — ensuring food scraps and packaging are captured, composted, and returned to nourish soils across Atlanta.
Their efforts have avoided over 7 million pounds of carbon emissions and 300,000 pounds of methane emissions, while producing more than
305,000 pounds of compost that nourish their campus garden and over 100 urban farms throughout the Atlanta area.
“ It takes finding great partners that understand the goals and are invested in meeting them. Our partnership with CompostNow and Better Earth is not just about money — it’s about finding the best options for our campus to do the right thing.”
~ Danielle Ismirle Dunigan Director of Safety & Facilities for Georgia Tech Dining & Retail
Closing the Loop With Composters
In Chicago, local composter The Urban Canopy is growing a local food system rooted in regeneration.
From operating farms and farmers markets to running compost collection services, The Urban Canopy has kept over 10 million pounds of organics out of landfills since 2011. Now, they process an average of 300,000 pounds of compost per month, collected from residential and commercial sites and farmers markets throughout the Chicago area.
Better Earth proudly partners with The Urban Canopy to provide composting services for our Chicago office and to provide compostable packaging for their customers and community events. This helps ensure clean streams and successful diversion.
We asked Alex Poltorak, Founder and CEO of The Urban Canopy, to share his insights on the intersection of compostable packaging and composting operations:
What are some of the advantages to providing both compostable packaging and composting services?
Having this combination in one organization helps minimize coordination and transportation time, making communication about what is or isn’t available, acceptable, etc., that much easier and more costeffective.
How can consumers, who are disposing of compostable packaging in a compost bin, best support their composter?
Each composter has different requirements for what they can and cannot accept, so it’s important for consumers to work with their local composter to understand any restrictions and keep contamination to a minimum.
“ Companies like ours and Better Earth, which connect the dots between businesses that want compostable items and the composting services, are critical to generating — and sustaining — impact.”
~ Alex Poltorak Founder and CEO
The Urban Canopy
Image:
The Urban Canopy Team photo. Photo Credit: Matthew Bowie
PEOPLE
Image Left: Genera Mill Silos Venore, TN
Image: Better Earth Clarkston employees volunteer at a local farm on Earth Day.
Previous Image: Georgia Tech Community Garden visitor admires the soil derived from compost.
Fostering a Regenerative Workplace
From our team to our supply partners, customers, and the communities we serve, we know that lasting impact begins with relationships built on equity, care, and shared purpose.
In 2024, we continued to nurture a workplace rooted in inclusivity, strengthened accountability across our supply chain, and showed up for our neighbors through volunteerism, zero waste support, and disaster relief. Together, we are building a culture that prioritizes people.
A Spirit of Inclusivity
At Better Earth, we see inclusion as our superpower, and it’s right at the heart of our ethos.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusivity is not just words to us. We believe that a colorful mix of minds, perspectives, and cultures fuels innovation and success in our business.
Better Earth proudly calls Clarkston, GA, just outside metro Atlanta, home — a community renowned as the most diverse square mile in the United States. This spirit of inclusivity permeates every aspect of our organization.
Team members spanning our offices in Clarkston and Chicago, throughout the US, and around the world.
61%
Of the Better Earth team identify as women or with racial or ethnic minority groups, reflecting our commitment to building a diverse, equitable workplace.
Investing Holistically
At Better Earth, we always look at the bigger picture, which means wellness starts from the ground up — literally — and expands from there.
Cultivating Wellness
We established employeeled community gardens at both our Atlanta and Chicago distribution centers, creating opportunities for our teams to connect, cultivate fresh produce, and deepen our personal connections to soil health. These efforts were complemented by an in-office Fresh Harvest subscription for our Clarkston, GA headquarters employees, providing team members and guests with regular access to fresh, organic, locally grown produce, supporting both personal wellbeing and our local food system.
Good Governance
Strong partnerships are built on shared values and accountability. In 2024, 100% of our Significant Supply Partners signed Better Earth’s Supplier Code of Conduct and completed our ESG Questionnaire, ensuring alignment with our high social and environmental standards while providing insights to drive progress across our supply chain.
Volunteering
In 2024, our team dedicated 106 volunteer hours, including hands-on support at Atlanta’s Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture, where we contributed to composting operations and regenerative farming. While we didn’t hit our 200-hour goal, we laid the foundation for a lasting culture of service and are committed to growing our impact.
Image:
Bumblebee enjoying squash blossoms in Georgia Tech Community Garden.
Image: 2024 Mill Valley Music Festival attendee enjoying a bite served in a custom printed and BPI-certified Better Earth Farmer’s Fiber clamshell.
Engaging Our Community
At Better Earth, we believe our impact extends beyond our products. We actively support the people and places that make regenerative circularity possible through donations, education, and direct community engagement, reinforcing our commitment to a more sustainable future.
770,000
People participated in zero waste events across the country where on-site composting was available and Better Earth provided packaging.
$38,000
Contributed towards zero waste education, innovation, in-kind donations, and carbon offset projects.
Image: Poster made by children impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Donation Spotlight: Hurricane Helene Relief
In response to Hurricane Helene — one of the most devastating inland hurricane in US history — Better Earth stepped up to support relief efforts across North Carolina. We provided compostable packaging to food hubs in Asheville, Marshall, and Swannanoa, enabling community kitchens to serve meals to those in need while reducing environmental impact.
By combining sustainability with humanitarian aid, we’re committed to making a difference when communities need it most.
“ Everyone was so appreciative... This community is still very much in need and suffered some of the highest numbers of fatalities in the region.
Thank you all again for your generosity.”
~ Jennifer Noto Reief Efforts Coordinator & Volunteer Western North Carolina
PRODUCT
Image Left: Genera Mill Silos Venore, TN
Image: Better Earth team member visits Georgia Tech Community Garden.
Compostable Packaging as a Catalyst
Made from rapidly renewable resources, compostables reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for single-use items.
Unlike how plastic packaging containing leftover foods can contaminate recycling streams, compostable packaging with remaining food is not considered contaminated. Instead, it serves as a catalyst to divert food waste from landfills into composting systems, where it can cycle back into nutrient-rich soil amendments.
Contributing New Solutions
At Better Earth, we believe that innovation and adaptability are key to driving meaningful environmental progress.
In 2024, we expanded our product portfolio to include paper hot cup lids, hot and cold food container lids, and pressed bamboo fiber cutlery. These advancements, the benefits are which are detailed below, meet growing demands for sustainable alternatives and reflect our commitment to supporting solutions that align with legislative and industry trends.
Supports Composters’ Preferences
Across the industry, paper and molded fiber products are widely accepted into composting systems, although research shows that all certified compostable paper, fiber and bioplastic materials disintegrate properly in commercial composting facilities.1
Enhances Consumer Education Aligns with Legislation
Clear labeling and recognizable materials help ensure our products end up in the correct waste stream. Our new paper-based products are designed with straightforward messaging and natural coloring, helping to close the gap between intention and action in waste diversion.
Better Earth’s paper and molded fiber products meet the stringent requirements of truth-in-labeling laws in key states, including Washington, Colorado, and California. These laws demand transparency and accuracy in environmental claims, and our solutions are engineered to comply, ensuring trust and reliability for consumers and partners alike.
Image: Farmer harvesting regenerative ag grown fibers for Better Earth’s Farmer’s Fiber products.
Farmer’s Fiber: A Climate Smart™ Collection
Our Climate Smart Packaging program represents a comprehensive strategy aimed at mitigating the carbon footprint throughout the packaging life cycle.
We follow a three-part methodology to understand and reduce the environmental impact of our products:
1. Measure: Conduct an independent Life Cycle Assessment of the product’s environmental footprint.
2. Reduce & Invest: Implement strategies to lower our carbon footprint and support industrywide solutions.
3. Improve: Commit to continuously diminish emissions through innovation and decarbonization.
Reducing Carbon Footprint
Our fiber collections are crafted from upcycled plant materials, like the residual fibers from sugarcane production that would otherwise be incinerated. This alternative process gives these resources renewed purpose as high-performing compostable packaging.
Upcycled Plant Materials
Made from a blend of bamboo and bagasse fibers, these collections utilizes the byproducts of existing agricultural systems, helping reduce waste and make better use of natural resources.
Carbon-Conscious Design
Bamboo and sugarcane crops absorb carbon as they grow, and through composting, our packaging returns nutrients to the soil — supporting carbon cycling at both the beginning and end of life.
Investing in Renewable Energy
Recognizing the impact of manufacturing on the product’s carbon footprint, our supply partner has installed rooftop solar to support power production and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Closing the Loop
Closing the Loop
Through
a Circular Economy
Composting molded fiber packaging like our BambooBagasse Fiber Collection can reduce its carbon footprint by 25%, but that impact is only possible with a robust composting infrastructure. That’s why Better Earth actively invests in growing the compost industry — through policy advocacy, direct funding of composting projects, and supporting community-scale operations. We work alongside composters, municipalities, and industry groups to expand access, build capacity, and ensure the systems exist to keep food scraps and packaging cycling back into healthy soils. Learn more about our work to close the loop on pages 47-51.
Certifications
We are making sustainability accessible and regenerative circularity achievable across the entire foodservice industry. Third-party certifications play a crucial role in distinguishing compostable products from unsustainable alternatives.
Administered by the Biodegradable Products Institute, BPI-certified products undergo rigorous, third-party testing to verify adherence to ASTM D6400 and/or ASTM D6868 standards. All BPI-certified products are PFAS-free. You can find the latest list of Better Earth BPI product certifications by visiting becompostable.com/bpi
Awarded in 2024, Better Earth’s B Corp Certification reflects our continuing commitment to high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency on factors ranging from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. Learn More becompostable.com/ certifications
Image: A coffee shop, Daily Chew, serves lattes with Better Earth BPI-certified hot cups.
Image Left: Genera Mill Silos Venore, TN
Image: Natural creek running through a farm currently supplying the fibers used to produce Better Earth Farmer’s Fiber.
Previous Image: Georgia Tech Community Garden
Conserving Resources
Smart and sustainable use of resources, such as energy, water, and waste, is essential to our mission.
In 2024, we launched a comprehensive Environmental Management Program to track use of resources across our operations and set aggressive reduction goals.
Evolving Our Operations
We continued embedding sustainability directly into daily operations at our facilities.
Expanding Composting Efforts
Our Sustainability Team is now participating in recurring Operations Team huddles to keep waste goals top of mind. We enhanced employee training, identified Zero Waste Ambassadors at both of our distribution centers, and launched a hierarchical decision tree to manage damaged or expired products responsibly.
Improving Energy Efficiency
This year, we prioritized reducing the carbon footprint of our facilities. In Chicago, we relocated to a new, energy-efficient warehouse and implemented timed lighting switches across facilities to reduce unnecessary energy use across office spaces, optimizing operations while lowering emissions.
Advancing EV Infrastructure
Better Earth became an EV Empowered Workplace with the installation of two electric vehicle chargers at our Clarkston facility, supporting sustainable transportation options for our team and partners and reinforcing our commitment to carbon reduction.
6,317lbs
Of material from Better Earth offices diverted from landfills, including 4,599 pounds of organic material like food waste, packaging, and expired products in 2024.
Image: Better Earth Chicago Operations Team proudly shows off their use of The Urban Canopy composting bins.
Appendix
ACCOUNTABILITY MATRIX
Accountability is core to Better Earth’s impact journey. Below is a snapshot of how we performed against the public goals we set for 2024, highlighting both our wins and the areas where we’re continuing to build and improve. These updates will guide our priorities and ambitions heading into 2025.
Category 2024 Goal
People: Regenerative Workplace
Accrue 200 employee volunteer hours.
2024 Report-Back
We collectively contributed 106 hours of Volunteer Time Off (VTO). While we didn’t meet our goal, we engaged community partners around metro Atlanta and beyond and built stronger programs to support volunteering in 2025. We set our 2025 VTO goal to 150 hours, or nearly four hours per team member, to reflect a realistic yet ambitious milestone.
People: Regenerative Workplace
Integrate procurement goals to prioritize local, sustainable, and diverse vendors within our expense system.
People: Ethical Supply Chain
Achieve 100% supplier participation in signing the Better Earth Supplier Code of Conduct.
In 2024, we fully redesigned our expense reporting system and shifted providers. While this transition delayed formal monitoring, we established procurement policies to guide purchasing across departments, setting a strong foundation for future tracking.
Completed. All Significant Supply Partners have signed the Code of Conduct, reinforcing shared accountability on social and environmental performance.
People: Waste Diversion
Recycle or compost 95% of standard recyclables and organics across operations and host a competition to name our Zero Waste Champion.
Completed. We expanded our composting program and launched shrink wrap recycling at both our Chicago and Clarkston distribution centers and offices. To track our impact, we conducted initial and mid-year waste audits with employees, strengthening our commitment to continuous improvement.
UN Global Compact
2023 2024
Hired Head of People who has implemented a variety of benefits and policies that align with Better Earth’s Regenerative Workplace philosophy. Please reference page 16 for more information on Better Earth’s new policies, DEIA initiatives, and team growth.
Women make up 38% of the Better Earth team and 35% of leadership.
Further institutionalized our commitment to sustainable business practices through initiating our Climate Smart Packaging program, completing the Life Cycle Assessment for our Farmer’s Fiber Collection and initiating one for EcoBamboo, and formalizing our Environment Management Plan signed by the entire executive team.
Continued expansion of domestic manufacturing, which is now doubling capacity.
Launch of our Climate Smart Packaging program, which represents a comprehensive strategy aimed at mitigating the carbon footprint throughout the packaging life cycle, encompassing sourcing, production, utilization, and disposal.
Expanded our employee benefits and community engagement opportunities to include our health and wellness programming and our implementation of Volunteer Time Off.
1. Compostable Packaging Disintegration at Composting Facilities.” Closed Loop Partners, April 26, 2024. https://www. closedlooppartners.com/research/ compostable-packagingdisintegration-at-compostingfacilities/
Women make up 37% of the Better Earth team and 22% of leadership.
Doubled down on our commitment to regenerative circularity through our Compost Application Program with our manufacturing and raw material partners (page 45) and by formalizing our partnership with the non-profit Zero Foodprint.
Operationally, we expanded our commitment to responsible production through the exhibited growth in our waste diversion metrics (See Page 39).
Continued sustainable product innovation by expanding the Climate Smart Packaging program to include our Better Earth Fiber Line, at the conclusion of its peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessment.
From Field to Fork to Field
At Better Earth, our mission is to revolutionize sustainable foodservice packaging, championing a closed-loop system that enriches the planet and connects communities.
