Back to the Roots partners with ProAmpac to produce “first” 100% recycled soil packaging

21 Sep 2023 --- US-based organic gardening brand Back to the Roots is partnering with ProAmpac to produce what it says is the first ever 100% PCR soil bag for its Organic Potting Mix. 

Back to the Roots says bringing recycled content into the soil category has been “a tough challenge” given the unique environmental demands of the product. The company says it leveraged new recycling technologies recently pioneered by leading consumer brands such as Kind Bar, Mars, Mondelez and Unilever for the launch. 

“This launch is a huge step for the soil industry toward getting better and helping reduce the 100s of millions of pounds of virgin plastic being used each year,” says co-founder and co-CEO Nikhil Arora. 

“Acknowledging the fact that only ~5% of all plastic ends up being recycled and soil packaging is traditionally landfilled, we challenged ourselves on how to try to make our bags out of recycled materials to start the road toward a circular plastic economy.” 

Back to the Roots has worked in the lawn and garden industry for over a decade and produces grow kits made from upcycled coffee ground waste. In recent years, the company has been investing in R&D and leaning into recycled materials with its PCR-based Plant Food & Wildflower Seed Mix Packaging, Hydroponic Grow Kit and Seed Starting Trays. 

Back to fundamentals 
Co-founder and co-CEO Alejandro Velez says the PCR recyclable packs are a stopgap in what the company hopes will be a gardening industry using entirely reusable formats. 

“When we think about reducing the footprint of our soil packaging, we go back to the fundamentals we learned in elementary school – reduce, reuse and recycle. This is just the start of our journey toward a more sustainable soil category,” he says. 

“We ultimately envision a world where our community can bring back their own reusable totes into stores to fill up with soil year after year after year; but in the meantime, we want to reduce and recycle – each bag we sell should use less and less drilled oil/gas and virgin plastic.” 

“We believe that small actions can inspire waves of change when done with a purity of intent and purpose. We’re excited to keep on pushing to get better every day and collaborating with our industry friends to turn this into a sea-change moment for the category.”

Together with ProAmpac, the company had the recycled material certified under the Global ISCC PLUS Certification. 

“Ensuring the technical and durability needs that outdoor environments require, cPCR performs at the same high level as virgin resin-based film,” adds Gary Koellhoffer, product manager at ProAmpac. 

Edited by Louis Gore-Langton