The Moonshot product experience matters immensely to us and it all starts with our packaging. From how your crackers arrive, to the materials we use, all the way down to how you dispose of your Moonshot box, we want to make sure we are providing the best experience possible for you, while also minimizing our impact on the planet.
Today, our packaging consists of two parts. Our outer paperboard carton, made from recycled and 100% recyclable materials, and our inner plastic bag, made from virgin plastic.
While our current packaging isn’t as climate-friendly as we want it to be, this solution is the best option for Moonshot right now.
The TLDR: We are constantly exploring alternatives to our inner plastic packaging, as part of our commitment to being as climate-friendly as possible. Read on to learn why we’ve chosen our current packaging and what we’re exploring for the future!
ABOUT OUR PACKAGING
Our outer cardboard box is made of 100% recycled fibers and can be recycled at home in most places across the country
Bonus Tip: Our boxes can also be composted at home if you follow a few easy steps! All you need to do is cut or rip the cardboard box into smaller pieces and place it in your compost as you would with any other compost scraps. Cutting up the cardboard helps break it down more easily.
If using a local compost service, please check with your local guidelines to determine the best way to dispose of your box. How2Recycle is a helpful resource!
Our inner plastic bag is made from Biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP), a BPA-free plastic.
We’ve done extensive research on available materials, and at this time the 1.4mm BOPP plastic film we use is the best solution to deliver delicious, fresh, unbroken crackers to your doorstep.
We chose a BOPP plastic film because it’s:
- Very lightweight and uses the smallest amount of material possible leading to a lower CO2 footprint
- Provides a great moisture-resistant barrier (important for the freshness of your crackers!) and is resistant to pollution and harmful chemicals
- Allows for greater efficiency and reduction of waste in the manufacturing process
BOPP is “recycle ready” - meaning it IS recyclable, however, recycling infrastructure for this material does not yet exist at scale, making it difficult to recycle in many situations.
You can check the recycling guidelines in your area and determine if it can be recycled or if you should dispose of the bag in the trash.
Overall, our inner plastic bag represents a tiny portion of our overall footprint, which we, of course, offset, as this graph shows. (check out our full impact report here!)
WORK IN PROGRESS
We’re continuing to innovate around our packaging, testing alternative options that further improve the sustainability of our products. We’ve explored:
Compostable packaging
While new compostable packaging options continue to emerge, today, options are limited and there remains a lack of infrastructure nationwide to make disposing of compostable packaging easy. Compostable or bio-based plastics tend to have higher carbon footprints than standard plastics. Current production technologies for bioplastics require more energy and are less efficient, in addition to the overall footprint being highly dependent on the raw material feedstock, some of which themselves are highly carbon intensive. Furthermore, waste management options for the vast majority of bioplastics are significantly lacking and themselves require high pressure and energy to be effectively composted and are not compostable in standard backyard compost piles. Most bioplastics still end up in landfills. We expect this will change in the future as these production technologies continue to develop, as well as municipal composting infrastructure.
Recyclable packaging
Though some recyclable options exist, very few facilities allow these films to go into curbside recycle bins. There are store drop-off recyclable options, however, in order for this packaging to be drop-off recyclable, the material needs to be thicker (more material = more carbon) and it also puts additional work on the consumer to ensure it’s recycled properly, which again means that the majority of these materials, while theoretically recyclable, largely end up in landfills
The existing options also create challenges in the packaging process, which can lead to less efficiency and more waste.
Post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging
Right now, this is the most exciting option that we’re investing research into. By supporting PCR packaging, companies can help drive demand to support the circular economy while also using a material that has a chance of ending up somewhere that it could potentially be reused. Recycled materials also typically have lower carbon footprints than virgin materials due to lower energy requirements for refining and production.
These films are generally made with a percentage of PCR materials (ex: 40%); we have yet to find any commercially available 100% PCR films.
Like recyclable options, the existing PCR options can also create challenges in the packaging process, which can lead to less efficiency and more waste.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When it comes to tackling the climate crisis, we believe in progress over perfection. We will continue to explore alternatives and when we make further improvements, you’ll be the first to know! Thanks for being on this journey with us.
