With the fight against climate change more pressing than ever, Imperfect Foods is proud to announce we will be a net-zero carbon operation by 2030 — 10 years earlier than major retailers and 20 years before the Paris Climate Agreement deadline.

Since Imperfect’s founding, we’ve been committed to reimagining grocery shopping. We started by asking why fruits and vegetables that looked a little quirky were going to waste. Our choice to show love and respect to produce that other companies had dismissed as ugly and unmarketable led us on a fruitful journey to re-think every aisle of the grocery store—and save 139 million pounds of food as a result.

As we grow, our mission must grow with us. Since the food system accounts for 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions, we have our work cut out for us. To truly build a kinder, less wasteful food system, we need to make sure that every aspect of how we operate as a business helps accomplish this goal.

In the years ahead, we will bring the same passion we brought to eliminating food waste into reducing carbon emissions in every aspect of our operations. As part of our 2030 commitment, we plan to do the following:

• We will convert all of our fulfillment centers to 100% renewable power by 2026. Last year, we began this transition, successfully converting our largest fulfillment center in Los Angeles to be entirely solar-powered, which is the equivalent to removing 470 cars off the roads for an entire year.

• This commitment extends beyond our fulfillment centers, with the goal of having a fully electric vehicle fleet by 2027 to reduce the emissions of our deliveries.

• We will have one facility certified zero-waste-to-landfill operational by 2022 with a total of six certified zero-waste-to-landfill facilities in operation three years later.

• And yes, we will offer more sustainable options than recyclable cardboard boxes for delivering your groceries.

As we see new areas to improve, we’ll work with our growers, producers, and employees to intentionally redesign how we source food, package it, and deliver it to your door.

While we know this is an ambitious goal, our history as a company has shown us that big changes in our food system don’t happen unless you’re willing to see value where others see obstacles.

Here’s a deeper look at how we’ll get to a net-zero carbon operation by 2030:

2020

• Form a Sustainability Department

• Continue local composting programs at every facility (something we’ve been doing since our inception)

• Power our first facility–Los Angeles–100% by solar power

2021

• Power a second facility by renewable energy sources

• Introduce a reusable delivery box in select markets

2022

• First facility certified zero waste to landfill

• Increase our regional sourcing by 15% to reduce the number of trucks on the road moving our food

2023 

• Rescue over 200 million pounds of food

• Switch the packaging of our Imperfect Foods items to recyclable, compostable, or reusable packaging

2024

• Increase our regional sourcing by 15% to reduce the number of trucks on the road moving our food

2025

• Six facilities certified zero waste to landfill

2027

• Imperfect delivery vehicles are 100% electric

2030

• Imperfect is a net-zero carbon company and has saved 1 billion pounds of food

We can’t do this alone. We’re going to engage our entire ecosystem of suppliers, partners, employees, and customers to move these important changes forward. This includes you. We’ll need your help, ideas, and support along the way. We’re committed to lead the way to a net-zero carbon food system and we invite you to join us!