Each year, an estimated 400 million tons of plastic waste are produced globally, with a staggering eight million tons polluting the oceans. This synthetic material, designed to last forever, has become a scourge on the environment, with dire consequences for marine life and ecosystems.
In the United States alone, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that plastic containers and packaging comprised a whopping 14.5 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2018, a mere 8.5 per cent of which was recycled. The health and wellness industry, often lauded for its natural products, is ironically a significant contributor to this plastic crisis, relying heavily on single-use bottles and non-biodegradable packaging.
A sustainable disruption
Amidst this plastic pandemic, Erthecode (www.erthecode.com), a plant-based nutraceutical longevity-focused wellness brand, is challenging industry conventions with its pioneering zero-plastic approach. The brand’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond its plant-based formulations, from their stress-busting Adaptogenic DeStressor to their immune-boosting Immunity Warrior.
“We adhere to the Seventh Generation Principle, ensuring our decisions today create a sustainable world seven generations into the future,” said Joseph Caruso, Erthecode’s founder and CEO. “Pulling every sustainability string we can, from the products, their packaging, and the mailers they are shipped in, we deeply care for the world we live in, constantly seeking out ways in which we give back to society.”
Caruso continues with an edge to his tone: “It’s a heart-breaking reality that many of us wish we could go back in time and dismantle plastic’s creation. Bottom line, plastics are a pervasive threat to our oceans, suffocating our marine ecosystems, as creatures large and small ingest or become entangled in plastic debris, leading to injury, starvation and often fatal outcomes. Ever see a whale with plastic fishing lines strangling its tail, dying a tragically slow death? Bottom line, no living thing should have to suffer like that, and it’s a completely avoidable situation that requires the highest evolution of Earth’s species – human beings – to consistently act in a morally responsible way.”
Erthecode’s nutraceutical line is packaged and shipped in their signature, one-of-a-kind compostable pouches and bubble mailers, a bold departure from the industry’s reliance on plastic bottles. This strategic move not only reduces waste, but also aligns with the brand’s ethos of promoting planetary stewardship.
“Our promise is to positively impact our surroundings for future generations,” Caruso emphasised. “We recognise that the harmony of inner peace and outward planetary stewardship is in every decision we make, including what we put in our body, on our skin, and most certainly, what we leave behind.”
A shift in consumer expectations
Erthecode’s zero-plastic promise empowers consumers to make eco-friendly choices without compromising quality or efficacy. By offering sustainable alternatives, the brand is leading the charge in shifting consumer behaviour and driving industry-wide change.
“The relentless progression of climate change coupled with the aftermath of the global pandemic has starkly revealed the urgency for a radical reset in how we approach our overall wellness – a shift that is not just vital, but imperative,” Caruso affirmed. “We are fervently committed to a vision of humanity thriving at its peak, untethered by personal care products laden with chemicals and toxins that jeopardise our health and inflict irreversible damage to Mother Nature.”
As the demand for sustainable practices continues to grow, Erthecode’s pioneering zero-plastic promise positions the brand as a trailblazer, shaking the foundations of an industry long overdue for a seismic shift towards environmental responsibility.
