As consumers demand more environmentally friendly products and services, companies are moving to meet those expectations. But doing so can be easier said than done. A survey by Entrepreneur found that 98% of sustainability initiatives fail since companies often struggle to find ways to run an eco-friendly business that is also profitable.

Despite the challenges, New Jersey is home to a growing number of purpose-driven ventures that are not only working to limit their impact on the environment, but doing so in a way that creates a long-term value for all stakeholders, including consumers, employees, suppliers, communities and the planet.

For companies large and small, the key to lasting change is creating – and sticking to – a clear road map toward goals that are impactful yet attainable. Depending on the industry, those plans can include measures such as changing manufacturing processes to include more recycled or waste products; switching to biodegradable, compostable, plastic-free or recyclable packaging; working with local suppliers to reduce logistical impacts; using renewable energy sources; and offsetting the impact of production and delivery by supporting regenerative efforts.

For instance, Cherry Hill-headquartered TD Bank launched a flagship greening program in 2011 to plant trees and shrubs from Maine to Florida as a way to revitalize and restore green spaces. With more than 491,000 trees planted, the effort is almost halfway to its goal of 1 million plantings by 2030.

Meanwhile Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick – whose brands include Johnson’s, Neutrogena and Listerine – is working to make good on its pledge to use 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable plastic packaging and certified/post-consumer recycled paper- and pulp-based packaging by 2025. Before 2030, the brands aim to use 100% recycled plastic in its bottles.

There’s also TerraCycle, a Trenton-based company launched in 2001 while founder Tom Szaky was a freshman at Princeton University. Since then, the venture has become a global leader in the collection and repurposing of otherwise non-recyclable pre- and post-consumer waste.

With operations in 21 countries, TerraCycle is now a multimillion-dollar enterprise that helps some of the world’s largest companies operate more sustainably by creating platforms to recycle products and packaging that would otherwise end up in a landfill or incinerator. Just a few of the partnerships forged over the last two decades include Burger King, Taco Bell, Gerber, and Stanley Black & Decker.

Over in Red Bank, LowTides Ocean Products is upcycling ocean plastics into sustainable and stylish beach gear. Founded in 2019 by siblings Elizabeth Ackmann and Brenton Hutchinson, the company’s products – which include beach chairs, towels, apparel and other accessories for fun in the sun – have prevented more than 24,000 pounds of plastics from entering the ocean. It has also forged collaborations with artists such as Thomas Paul, Molly Hatch and Evelyn Henson, as well popular fashion and furnishing brand Laura Ashley, on artistic designs for collections.

As consumers become more conscious of how their purchasing decisions affect the planet, they are increasingly looking to support brands that are committed to reducing impacts on the environment.

According to a study by Amazon Ads, environmental responsibility is emerging as a top-of-mind issue for many consumers, especially younger adults.

The survey also found that 71% of U.S. consumers are tired of brands acting like they are exempt from environmental responsibility and 62% actively seek out brands that have sustainable business practices. In addition, 55% said they’re willing to pay more for services and products that are environmentally friendly.

To mark Earth Day on April 22, NJBIZ checked in with a few eco-friendly companies to share their stories, as well as tips for fellow business owners looking to become more sustainable.

Do Good Foods

Founded in 2021 by Tewksbury natives and brothers Justin and Matthew Kamine, Do Good Foods is trying to tackle one of the biggest contributors to climate change – food waste.

Somewhere between 30% and 40% of the nation’s food supply at the retail and consumer levels is ultimately thrown away each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found. That amount corresponds to about 133 billion pounds of food valued at about $161 billion, the government says.

To address the problem, the brothers – whose father is Harold Kamine, the founder and chairman of Bedminster-based investment firm Kamine Development Corp. – wanted to find a way to maximize the use of surplus food.

“We come from a family of entrepreneurs that address big issues through large scale infrastructure, so we set out to create a solution that would address the dual concerns of food waste and climate change, since food waste in landfills is a key contributor to greenhouse gases. People have been feeding animals with surplus food for centuries, and we were inspired by that concept to create a closed-loop scalable solution, which is something that hasn’t been done before,” the brothers said in a statement.

Justin and Matthew wound up developing a scaled approach that collects unsold produce and proteins from grocery stores and converts what can’t be donated to food pantries into a nutrient-dense, healthy dry feed for animals.

Through its closed-loop system, Do Good Foods partners directly with retailers, picking up excess products free of charge and donating whatever they can to local organizations that feed the hungry.

Everything else is delivered to Do Good Foods’ Fairless Hills, Pa., facility, where it is used to make a feed to raise carbon-reduced animals that ultimately get processed and sold as a sustainable alternative in the supermarket.

In April 2022, Do Food Foods launched its debut retail product: Do Good Chicken – the first-ever United States Department of Agriculture-verified carbon-reduced chicken and first verified chicken brand actively combating climate change.

Already sold at hundreds of stores across the U.S., Do Good Foods recently expanded retail distribution with Inserra Supermarkets, under the ShopRite banner in North Jersey, as well as with Morton Williams in New York City and select Acme locations.

According to the company, each Do Good Chicken keeps around 4 pounds of surplus groceries from being thrown away, preventing the release of nearly 3 pounds of greenhouse gases. In fact, the Kamines said, if 1 in 5 chickens sold was a Do Good Chicken, it would solve the problem of grocery store food waste in five years.

As of April 2023, the company said it has diverted approximately 27 million pounds of surplus grocery food from ending up in landfills, saving more than 3,100 metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.

Do Good Foods, which received $169 million in backing from global asset manager Nuveen, is gearing up to open processing facilities in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Selma, N.C. Once the new sites are up and running, the company will be able to upcycle 180,000 tons of food annually.

As co-CEOs, the brothers said one of their biggest challenges is “the balancing act” of “simultaneously blending infrastructure development with the development of a consumer brand.”

“But while the infrastructure can’t happen without Do Good Chicken and Do Good Chicken can’t happen without the infrastructure, we’ve decided to stay laser-focused on driving awareness for Do Good Chicken so consumers understand the very real impact they can have simply by moving their arm 6 inches to the right and choosing our chicken at the grocery store,” they said.

The company – which was named as one of Fast Company’s most innovative brands of 2023 – is optimistic about what’s ahead, with the brothers saying that they believe the “opportunity for impact” over the next five years “is incredibly exciting.”

Along with expanding distribution and production, Do Good Foods is venturing into new retail categories. This year, it plans to launch Do Good Eggs in partnership with Post Holdings’ subsidiary Michael Foods.

“While we currently are in-stores with chicken, our overall goal is to help the animal protein world reduce its impact on the environment,” the brothers said.

“The field of sustainability challenges the status-quo by nature – looking to create innovative and intelligent solutions that inherently change the way we do things,” they said. “Our advice to eco-friendly companies would be to just keep going, no matter how many times you’re faced with ‘no.’ Even after you recognize that there’s a better way to operate, you’ll face challenges and it may be an uphill climb at times. People will challenge your vision, but if you persevere and move forward with strength, you’ll eventually start to see the impact your company can make.”

The Kamines went on to say, “Some companies may think that operating sustainably means you need to compromise in other facets of your business. However, it is possible to create solutions that are environmentally friendly, provide economic benefits and are appealing to consumers. In fact, as more consumers prioritize making sustainable choices, being an eco-friendly company can be beneficial in many ways.”

Dry Goods Refillery

Rachel Garcia wants to save the world, one jar at a time.

Launched in February 2020 by Garcia, Dry Goods Refillery is a plastic-free grocery store that aims to make sustainable living more attainable by reducing consumer’s reliance on single-use plastics.

As a mother of two young boys, Garcia sought to combine her experience as a former retail buyer, lover of quality food and passion for the environment into a venture that helps move the needle. “The idea for Dry Goods Refillery came from the desire to reduce our family’s trash shortly after our children were born and the trash can started piling up,” she said. “We got very sucked into the ‘convenience culture’ of new parenthood – single snack bags, individual pouches, etc. – and had been fortunate enough to experience lower waste grocery stores and lifestyles when living and traveling overseas.”

While quite common in Europe, zero-waste stores are a relatively new concept in the U.S., but slowly gaining momentum. With plastic packaging accounting for a quarter of all landfill waste, the trend of waste-free shopping is only expected to grow in popularity.  Within New Jersey, a few other refill shops have popped up over the last year or so, including Eco Loka in Frenchtown.

“The more I began to research this idea, the more I found that refilling was a global movement that had not yet made a splash in the U.S., and I felt inspired to lean into my experiences and entrepreneurial spirit to open something myself,” Garcia said.

Dry Goods Refillery was born as a way for everyday people to cut down the amount of waste they generate, without sacrificing quality ingredients, and to redirect community spending to a more sustainable and eco-friendly supply chain.

Her Montclair storefront is a one-stop shop, allowing customers to refill their own jars, containers or bags with over 275 common grocery items, such as olive oil, spices, chocolate chips, coffee beans, dish soap, toothpaste and laundry detergent – all of which are acquired through carbon neutral certified supply chains.

Garcia also sells goodies, such as homemade pastas, gourmet cheeses, curries, breads, sauces and fresh kombucha, that have been sourced locally from small businesses who support a closed loop, circular system to ensure as little waste as possible.

“Our whole motto is that local is more sustainable, so we try very hard to partner whenever possible with fellow New Jersey businesses,” she explained. “For us, we love the ability to showcase the incredible makers of our community and introduce them to a wide range of customers who travel to experience the novelty of our concept.”

“Shoppers love the uniquely curated assortment we are known for and discovering delicious brands or incredible sustainable for their self-care or home,” Garcia said. “They are grateful to have a place where their impact matters and they are able to actually move the needle and create a change by partnering with us and their fellow community members through the collaborative act of reuse and refilling. Many of them also are pleasantly surprised how fun, easy and enjoyable shopping at Dry Goods Refillery is.”

Over the past three years, Garcia has continued growing her physical storefront, adding an e-commerce platform to further the shop’s reach. Along the way, the business has caught the attention of some big names, including U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and “Late Show” host (and Montclair resident) Stephen Colbert.

Hoping to influence others to rethink the way they shop, Garcia also launched a consultancy business focused on sustainability.

“Right now, we are fighting upstream, especially in the world of grocery,” she said. “Without widespread alternatives to traditional plastic packaging available, we need to work very creatively in order to find and curate a low-waste experience for our customers.”

“We constantly walk the line between choosing sustainably sourced products, bulk packing, storage solutions and creating additional food waste,” Garcia said. “Or missing key categories that prove challenging to avoid plastics, such as cereals, proteins or frozen foods.”

Garcia added, “There’s also a misconception that sustainable alternatives can be more expensive and lower quality and, in many cases, this is simply not true. In fact, it’s frequently the opposite.”

When it comes to the zero-waste movement, Garcia said her “ultimate dream” is to roll out Dry Goods Refillery as a shop-in-shop concept within a traditional grocery store where consumers can BYOC – bring your own container – and fill up bulk pantry items, home supplies and body products.

“We are never going to be able to directly compete with the Whole Foods/Amazon level stores, but to partner in a way where there’s a locally focused, sustainable component is something I’ve seen at scale overseas and the partnership seems to be one in which everyone wins, including the customer. It’s the definition of a true ‘one-stop-shop,’” she said.

Garcia encouraged businesses to “think about what will have a lasting impact versus what might seem like a good idea.”

“So many companies lead with the idea of selling you more ‘stuff’ to be sustainable and usually those items just end up being more waste than the original way would have generated,” she said.

Garcia went on to cite New Jersey’s ban on single-use plastic bags as an example, saying, “Grocery stores ‘solved’ this problem by selling you ‘reusable’ bags because they were no longer allowed to give you plastic ones.”

“But, if the customer behavior doesn’t change to ‘reuse,’ and they don’t actually go through the process of remembering to bring those bags every time, you’re simply creating more bags and waste that ultimately still end up as trash,” she said.

She also urged businesses to “push for more” because “just saying you are sustainable” is not enough.

“Swapping into compostables is done more frequently now, but if you’re not collecting those items and providing a commercial composting drop-off point, then those items are more expensive and ultimately act just like plastic when thrown in the landfill,” said Garcia, adding, “It’s essentially a form of greenwashing because you feel better, but it’s not actually impacting much.”

Instead, strive for ways to modify customer habits, such as discounting for those who bring their own coffee mug or only including extra napkins or condiments if specifically requested, she said.

“These changes in your model can actually save a business money in the long run and change behaviors of customers at the same time,” said Garcia.

DK Solutions

East Brunswick-based direct mail marketing company DK Solutions is trying to do more with less. Liran Kapoano and Joel Dickstein founded the agency in 2015 with a vision to create a marketing firm focused on reducing the overall waste and cost that is often associated with the direct mail industry.

By using a targeted direct mail approach, DK Solutions helps clients reduce overall costs while improving the average response rate and campaign return-on-investment.

Kapoano, the company’s chief operating officer, explained, “Our entire business model is predicated on saving money for our clients by only sending their advertisements to highly targeted prospects in order to cut down on costs and postage. This tends to result in cutting their total mail volume in half, sometimes as much as 80% or more in order to generate the same amount of leads.”

“Less money equals less waste equals less trees being removed from the environment,” he said. “So, even though we didn’t really set out to be conservationists, it was really in the company’s DNA all along.”

“In addition to that, we heavily prioritize vendors who use recycled paper and ink, which has become a pretty widespread feature in the direct mail world … Our largest vendor even produces their own electricity via solar panels,” said Kapoano, who added, “As a company, we were always pretty close to carbon neutral.”

But, over the last two years, DK Solutions – which was named as one of Inc Magazine’s 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America last year – has made moves to become even greener.

The company is teaming up for a second year in a row to support the work of One Tree Planted, a nonprofit that plants trees around the world.

Thanks to DK Solutions’ donation, more than 2,500 trees will be planted this year in the 2.5-million acre Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. Last year, DK Solutions contributed to a project in Flathead National Forest that resulted in over 3,000 trees replanted within the Montana national park.

Those contributions are tied to a larger mission at DK Solutions aimed at replacing the tree canopy based on the amount of paper the firm uses in its direct mail campaigns annually.

Dickstein, the company’s CEO said, “Here at DK Solutions, using paper in our everyday direct mail campaigns, we wanted to give back to the environment. So, our partnership with One Tree Planted was the perfect fit. In planting three trees for every one we use; we are proud to be part of such a great cause.”

After calculating the number of trees used, the company then triples it to not only replace the number of trees they helped cut down but to act as a net positive and help preserve the beauty of the country’s national parks. In so doing, the company says it will end up effectively replacing all of the trees they used, and then adding twice as many new ones.

“In 2021, I had solar panels put on my house. As part of the installation, we had to remove a few trees that were overhanging the house,” said Kapoano, who went on to say, “Seeing the trees cut down didn’t feel great, so I decided to plant my own trees – three for every one I removed – myself.”

“That got me thinking about we were doing with all of our paper. And I started calculating how much paper is produced by a tree. I felt a little better knowing that one tree produces about 10,000 full sheets of paper, which is actually more than most people will ever use. But our business uses quite a bit more than that. And that’s a lot of downed trees for us to make up for,” he said.

“We track every mailer we send out, so I went back and tallied up all the mail we produced and after accounting for the fact that some jobs use heavier paper stock, some use envelopes, some use two envelopes, and so on and so forth, I came up to about 10 million pieces of mail. Divide that by 10,000 and you get about 1,000 trees. Which in the grand scheme of the planet is not a huge amount – but having been on hikes through many forests in my life, it made me feel pretty terrible. So, we multiplied that by three and did 3,000 for our first year,” Kapoano explained.

Kapoano believes other businesses should consider how they can reduce waste, saying it’s a “critical” step and that companies “should spend some time trying to go through their blind spots.”

“But mostly I would say that companies need to always dig deeper and ask themselves ‘Is what I’m doing actually a net benefit, or it just maintaining the status quo?’ The financial difference between the two may not really be very different and being net positive for the environment is always better than net neutral,” he said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 10:50 a.m. ET May 2, 2023, to correct the amount of food Do Good Foods will be able to upcycle once its new facilities are up and running.