Overview

Since our launch in December 2020, Moonshot has remained steadfast in our commitment to providing transparency into our practices. As the first climate-friendly snack brand, we take this commitment seriously and are releasing our second annual Climate Impact Recap (view our 2021 recap here). This recap serves to update you on our progress towards our climate goals, and what’s still ahead for us as we work towards a healthier planet and food system. 

How we’re climate-friendly

As you likely know, we designed Moonshot with the planet in mind, from our ingredient sourcing to supply chain to our packaging, reducing our emissions wherever possible. 

As with last year, our regenerative wheat, use of renewable energy, and recycled packaging contribute to a 28% lower average GHG emissions per box of crackers (compared to industry standard for similar materials). Here’s a look at how our Sourdough Sea Salt crackers’ emissions compare to the industry standard:

Here’s a breakdown of emissions per carton per flavor: 

• Sourdough Sea Salt 0.33 kg CO2e/carton

• Rosemary Garlic 0.34 kg CO2e/carton

• Tomato Basil 0.41 kg CO2e/carton

= Average 0.36 kg CO2e/carton

You may have noticed that our CO2e impact per carton is slightly higher than 2021, even though everything in our core supply chain stayed the same. That’s because we grew our distribution significantly in 2022, leading to a slight increase in CO2e associated with longer transport distances. 

How we’re offsetting our emissions

While our emissions are lower than average by design, we still encounter unavoidable emissions that contribute to our carbon footprint. In order to ensure every box of Moonshot produced in 2022 was 100% carbon neutral, from cradle-to-grave (including emissions from distribution, consumer use, and waste management), we used the following equation to calculate our emissions:

Product type x Emissions per unit

x

Production volume

=

Carbon Footprint (mt CO2e)

Based on this equation, we’re able to calculate our carbon footprint and determine the amount of emissions we need to offset to reach carbon neutrality. 

Over the past year, our business grew substantially. Our retail footprint grew to over 3,500 locations nationwide and we were lucky to welcome so many new Climatarians into our family. To support this growth, we produced far more crackers than in 2021 and deepened our distribution in the Eastern U.S., far from our production hub in the Pacific Northwest. As a result, our overall emissions were higher. 

For 2022, we offset 221 metric tons of CO2e with Tradewater, a high-quality carbon offsetting program. If you want to read more about why we partner with Tradewater, read here!

How we plan to improve over time

To make sure we’re continually driving our emissions down, we’re looking at the following actions: 

1. Transition our inner plastic film to an alternative with 40%+ post-consumer recycled content by 2025

2. Create a plan by 2024 to develop a domestic, transitional regenerative sunflower oil supply by 2026

3. Create a plan by 2025 to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2026

Our ultimate goal as an authentically climate-friendly snack brand is to move away from reliance on offsets and to create a business model and supply chain that allows us to eventually achieve Net Zero emissions. This means that in the next few years, we are aiming for more audacious goals like developing a domestic regenerative and organic sunflower oil project. 

We believe that harnessing the power of regenerative agriculture and local food economies is an impactful way to change our food system for the better and help fight climate change. 

We will continue to hold ourselves accountable for taking care of our planet and the people who call it home. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made with your help this year. Thanks for being a part of the climate-friendly food movement with us!