In the wake of surging online orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the popular gelato brand delivers on its commitment to reduce its eco footprint by launching compostable delivery packaging.

Righteous Gelato is unveiling a plantable packaging solution for e-commerce orders. Rolling out over the coming weeks, the Calgary-based gelato brand is working in partnership with Albertan industrial hemp manufacturing company BioComposites Group to replace its current styrofoam insulation packs with a compostable plant-based alternative. Restrictions implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have encouraged a rise in direct delivery of goods and with 86 million tons of plastic packaging produced globally each year, according to forest conservation group Canopy, Righteous Gelato aims to minimize the impact packaging can have on the environment.

“One of our core virtues is to leave this world better than we found it and at Righteous we work relentlessly to find solutions that embody just that,” says James Boettcher, Custodian of Culture and CEO of Righteous Gelato. “Coming out of 2020 where e-commerce was front and center, we knew that our commitment to doing the right thing and partnering with great organizations to think differently was paramount. Working with BioComposites allowed us to rethink our insulation and deliver our product in a compostable material that can be returned to the earth.”

The new packaging consists of all natural fibres that are byproducts of the Canadian agricultural industry that would typically be considered waste. Upon unpacking their frozen treats, Righteous customers can then repurpose the packaging, which is made of 99.9% industrial hemp, as a microgreen bed or weed suppressant in their gardens. Righteous Gelato continues to seek out new ways to innovate for the good of the planet, such as using recyclable plastic wrap for its hemp packaging and choosing reusable and recyclable plastic pints for gelato rather than harmful wax-lined paper containers that must be thrown out.

Righteous Gelato puts environmentally-responsible businesses practices first. By vetting suppliers based on key environmental metrics, diverting 95% of the company’s waste away from landfills and reusing the water in their facility to heat and cool their equipment, the small batch gelato maker leads the charge in protecting the earth and its ecosystems.