How Thrive Market and rePurpose Global Are Encouraging Brands to Reduce Their Plastic Use

Even the most well-intentioned brands have issues addressing their plastic use. Plastic is an incredibly common, affordable, and practical material for things like packaging and shipping. Unfortunately, it’s also polluting our planet at a rate that recycling alone cannot begin to address. 

Thanks to our partnership with rePurpose Global, the world’s leading plastic action platform, we’ve been able to tackle our own plastic footprint at Thrive Market and fight global plastic pollution. In 2023, we became Plastic Neutral Certified, meaning we:

• Measure how much plastic we use in shipping materials for all member orders and packaging for all products in Thrive Market’s brands
• Remain committed to our plastic reduction strategy 
• Recover the measured amount from nature-bound sources

“Being Plastic Neutral Certified through rePurpose Global marks our commitment to transparent progress on our footprint reduction and direct investment in projects that fight the global plastic pollution crisis,” says Thrive Market’s Associate Director of Mission, Kristin De Simone. 

The Thrive Market x rePurpose Global Plastic Action Working Group  

Now, we’re working alongside rePurpose Global to help other brands achieve this same type of progress toward plastic reduction. In 2023, we joined forces to create Thriving Together, a plastic action working group that assists conscious brands in Thrive Market’s network with developing and refining their plastic reduction efforts. 

“Retailers are one of the biggest players that can nudge brands to take sustainable action,” says Kareena Fagwani, Senior Manager of Growth and Partnerships at rePurpose Global. “Our idea was, How do we make Thrive Market the force of good to all of the brands in the Thrive Market network?” 

In the first year, we had more than 100 brands across multiple industries join the group. Now that we’re in our second year, we’re excited to share the progress we’ve made together toward a plastic-free future.

Year 1: 2023 

In Year 1, brands that joined Thriving Together were immersed in education and development surrounding plastic reduction. There weren’t any mandatory milestones brands had to achieve in this first year. All actions were completely voluntary, and consisted mostly of educational webinars that helped participants understand:

• Their plastic footprint
• Different policies that affect their businesses
• Communication strategies surrounding their plastic action
• How they can build a five-year strategy toward plastic reduction 

During this first year… 

• 102 brands joined the group 
• 128 representatives from member brands took part in programming 
• These representatives attended 5 thought leadership webinars  

Year 2: 2024

Brands who opted to move forward to a second year of the plastic action working group shifted from educational goals to action-oriented milestones within the plastic action framework:

1. June 1, 2024: Assess the state of the brand’s plastic usage and build strategies for 2024 plastic reduction and recovery goals
2. By November 1, 2024: Take measurable plastic action by committing to a minimum of 25% plastic recovery or reduction
3. By February 1, 2025: Achieve 100% of goals set for 2024 plastic reduction and recovery goals 

When brands reach each of these targets, they’ll be rewarded by Thrive Market and rePurpose Global. This is to recognize the progress they’ve achieved so far, and to help further their progress. Rewards include experiential tours, prestigious marketing placements, and rePurpose Global will match a percentage of their plastic recovery efforts.

“The brands have some really creative reduction and recovery strategies,” Fagwani says. “Some of them want to reduce their packaging by a certain percentage by next year; some of them are finding it very difficult to reduce plastic, but they have committed to a 100% plastic recovery initiative where they fund the recovery of plastic from nature.” 

During this second year… 

• 128 brands are taking part in the working group 
• 173 representatives from member brands are taking part in programming 
• Together, Thrive Market and the participating brands have recovered 800,000+ pounds of plastic (to date)

Celebrating Brands That Take Action Against Plastic 

While joining the plastic action working group ensures that brands are committed to learning more about plastic recovery, the major hope is that brands will commit to actually reduce and recover plastic waste in their own business practices. We’re excited to say that in the first two years that the group has been active, we’ve had a handful of bold, committed brands opt to take part in these measurable initiatives. 

In 2023, of the 102 brands who initially joined the working group, 11 brands committed to 1.) plastic reduction and recovery strategies and 2.) a plastic footprinting assessment. 

In addition to Thrive Market, those brands were: 

• Blue Stripes
• Saalt
• Cure
• Earth Mama
• Pulp Pantry
• Llama Naturals
• Ursa Major
• Neptune
• Clif Bar
• FoodMatch 

In addition to the 11 from the previous year, in 2024, we saw 5 more brands commit to plastic reduction and recovery strategies and a plastic footprinting assessment. 

Those brands were: 

• Dropps
• Olyra
• Skout Organic
• Doctor In the Kitchen
• Banyan Botanicals

Thrive Market’s Commitment to Recovering 1 Million Pounds of Plastic Waste From Nature 

Earlier this year, our CEO and co-founder Nick Green announced an ambitious goal to recover 1 million pounds of plastic waste through our work with rePurpose Global. In order to do this, it will take the strength of not just Thrive Market, but also the brand members who are now part of the plastic action working group. 

This means that our work is only just beginning. This year, the plastic action working group plans to host events focused on measuring plastic usage and setting reduction goals, packaging policy compliance updates, and engaging stakeholders in plastic action. Along with rePurpose Global, we’ll also offer one-on-one guidance, playbooks, and progress check-ins with our participating brands to help ensure that they stay on track with their plastic reduction goals. 

We know it won’t be easy, but this wouldn’t be the first lofty sustainability goal we’ve set — and achieved — as a company. This time, though, we’re even more motivated by the strength of these like-minded brands and the huge strides we’re making together toward a plastic-free future.