Earthable® Boosts Local Farmers and Saves the Planet at the Same Time
Do you eat local and shop local? Do you visit your local farmers market and dine at farm-to-table restaurants? All of these consumer movements come from a desire to support rural agriculture, preserve farmland and lessen impact on the environment. Modern consumers want their purchases to make a difference. They know their buying power can enact positive change, and that includes supporting local farm families.
But did you know that local farm products aren’t limited to food? Alternative fibers like switchgrass, biomass sorghum, and crop residues can be grown locally, purchased from local farmers, and used to produce compostable, disposable tableware, packaging, tissue products and more.
Here are three key reasons why it makes sense to choose products made from alternative agricultural fibers over wood pulp, plastics or Styrofoam.
1) They Keep Farmers on Their Land
Providing a market for diverse agricultural products grown in the USA helps American farm families stay on their farms, preserving rural communities and the farming way of life. In order for young people to go into and stay in agriculture, they need crops that are profitable so they can support their families. Fiber crops can provide a new, diversified source of income to the farm. According to USDA research, 31 percent of principal farm operators are age 65 and older. We’re seeing a new generation of farmers begin to take over operations or get into farming. Incorporating domestic agricultural products into more consumer goods is one way to help a new generation of farmers be successful.
2) Agricultural Fibers Are Renewable
Many of the products we think of as disposable are made from precious, non-renewable natural resources. Making single-use products like takeout containers or fast food beverage cups from non-renewable petroleum products like Styrofoam (polystyrene) is considered wasteful by modern consumers. But agricultural fibers grow quickly on existing farmland, making them a more responsible choice.
3) Ag Fibers are Compostable
Styrofoam products take more than 500 years to decompose and are responsible for 30 percent of landfill capacity today. Enough Styrofoam cups are produced each day to circle the Earth if lined up end to end. Agricultural fibers can be thermoformed into to-go containers, plates, and bowls, or used to make paper cups that are 100% compostable and biodegradable, giving the convenience of single-use products without clogging up landfills.
Switching to renewable, compostable, American-made products just makes sense. It helps the environment and boots the local economy. If you are looking for a solution for packaging, restaurant tableware or another fiber pulp application, Earthable® fiber pulp from Genera might be the answer. We are also recruiting farmers to grow the feedstocks to create Earthable.® Find out more about Earthable® and Genera on our website or contact us online today.
