“It has a water-based moisture barrier that is 100% plastic-free and it is recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable as well,” Sacred Serve founder Kailey Donewald says on a call to mbg. It took eight years for sustainable packaging company Delipac to create the material and prove that it can, indeed, be recycled curbside across the country, break down in compost pile (in both a backyard and industrial facility) and biodegrade in soil or water without leaving environmental contaminants behind.
“We’re super excited to finally have this fully sustainable version,” says Donewald, whose new pints will be rolling out starting this week in Whole Foods Market in the midwest, Erewhon Market on the west coast, and online. You’ll be able to spot them by their unique shape: lidless (to further cut down on packaging material) with fold-over sides á la Chinese takeout boxes.
One small company making this change won’t solve the larger contamination issue. But the fact that they’ve done so could signal sweeter days ahead for the rest of the ice cream and food storage space in general. “It can be used across categories and across industries, absolutely,” says Donewald of the recyclable paperboard material.
So perhaps the day isn’t too far when you can finish your ice cream and toss it into the blue bin with confidence. Until then (unless you’re eating Sacred Serve, of course), when in doubt, throw it out.