Sustainability Through Packaging and Ingredient Sourcing
July 6, 2018,
Elaina Bird
Product sustainability, responsible ingredient sourcing, and environmental stewardship is as important to Isagenix® as we know it is to those who love our products.
We’re fully committed to finding ways to further reduce our environmental impact over time and improve our sustainability profile. We know that our products represent a key opportunity for achieving these goals. We also know that having a responsible supply chain is vital to the sustainability of our operations.
As part of our efforts to promote responsible sourcing from our suppliers, we require a rigorous evaluation and selection process including review of sourcing, environmental, and financial practices, to name a few. We also work with our manufacturing partners to understand their sourcing practices and use our influence to encourage actions that ensure the ethical and sustainable practices within each link of our supply chain.
Here are four examples of how Isagenix is focused on sustainability through ingredient sourcing and packaging.
Dairy
Since the founding of our company in 2002, we have sourced most of our dairy from suppliers in New Zealand to meet and maintain high-quality standards for products that include our IsaLean™ shakes and bars. To support growing demand for our products worldwide, we have expanded to using quality suppliers in Australia and in the north-western United States that align with our existing no-compromise standards. These standards include sourcing only from dairy farms with verified quality animal care and standards for well-managed natural grazing. We only source from dairy farms that don’t give hormones to their animals or use routine antibiotics.
Botanical ingredients
We understand the importance of sourcing plant-based ingredients from suppliers that have verified standards for preserving existing wildlife and agricultural biodiversity. Our no-compromise standards for botanical ingredients is also ensured by a thorough process of raw material testing that includes identity testing, testing for pesticides and herbicides, and testing for heavy metals. Through these methods, we not only ensure the safety of our consumers, but we also ensure that these ingredients are authentic and unadulterated, such as those used in Nourish for Life™ and Ionix® Supreme, for improved sustainability.
Other ingredients
Beyond our efforts to meet no-compromise standards for botanicals, we also recognise the opportunity to make an impact through sustainability-focused sourcing of ingredients that include natural sweeteners, flavours, vitamins, and minerals. We seek out suppliers of these ingredients that have a demonstrated awareness and focus on supporting a healthy ecosystem with commitments to the reduction of food waste, reduction of waste to landfill, and reduction of environmental footprint through their water- and fuel-reduction programs. We also seek suppliers with internationally recognised standards for ethical trade with local farmers, the promotion of productive soils, and preservation of wildlife and biodiversity.
Packaging
Our plastic canisters for several of our products, including IsaPro®, have always been made with recyclable materials. However, we recently announced that moving forward, our canisters will now be made of postconsumer recycled (PCR) plastic. This effectively ensures that no new plastic is created for our shake canisters, helping to close the loop on the plastic waste cycle. You’ll also notice that the bottom of your canisters will now include an ‘Earth Friendly’ logo as a mark that your canister is made of postconsumer recycled plastic.
Through our partnerships with ingredient and packaging suppliers, we hope you’ll agree that it’s a good idea for us to use our influence to encourage actions that strengthen ethical and sustainable production practices. In any way we can through research and development, packaging, or purchasing of ingredients, we’ll continue to improve our sourcing of ingredients and management of our resources to reduce our carbon footprint and waste to landfill.
We are committed to creating products that are sustainably and ethically produced not only because it is better quality, but also because it is better for the planet.