Thrive Market Aims to Be World’s 1st Climate-Positive Grocer
Ahead of Earth Day in April, e-grocer Thrive Market has unveiled its “2020 Mission Impact Report,” in which it lays out its plans to achieve carbon negativity by 2025, among other goals. The retailer has been carbon neutral since its launch in 2014.
In its quest to achieve carbon negativity, the e-grocer has committed to its zero-waste practices with Zero Waste Certification in 2022 and is committing to be a plastic-neutral company in 2023, building on its plastic-recycling pilot program rolling out this year.
As noted in the report, Thrive Market’s other missions included:
- Food Access: Through its Thrive Gives program, the grocer has raised $4 million toward food access and sustainability causes, recommitting to its mission to make healthy living accessible to every American.
- Regenerative Organic: One of the first retailers to focus on regenerative agriculture, Thrive Market is dedicated to building relationships with small farmers, improving biodiversity and supporting the food system's longevity.
In related news, Thrive Market co-founder Gunnar Lovelace will appear in the upcoming “Seeding Change” documentary, which profiles “triple bottom-line” businesses that consider the social, environmental and financial impacts of their companies.
The largest grocer to receive B-Corp certification, meaning that it meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose, Los Angeles-based Thrive Market carries more than 5,000 organic and non-GMO products, and offers 70-plus filters and values, allowing consumers to shop by diet and lifestyle. In March 2020, the company started its COVID-19 Relief Fund, which has so far raised $1 million and supported 30,000-plus families affected by the pandemic.
