Sustainable Spotlight: Imperfect Foods is on a Mission to Eliminate Food Waste

Did you know that 20 billion pounds of fresh produce goes un-harvested or unsold each year? Imperfect Foods is on a mission to change that with their farm to fridge grocery delivery service that not only helps eliminate food waste, but also gets food to those in need through non-profits and food banks.

As a customer of Imperfect Foods, I not only am a fan of their model, but of their products as well. Shopping their delicious fresh produce and snacks has helped me keep a healthier diet through the pandemic and even discover some new favorites. I was also excited to learn that Imperfect Foods recently launched some sustainable beauty products including a 3-in-1 Shower Gel, Shampoo, and Conditioner, Rose Oil, and Avocado and Honey Body Butter. We caught up with Chief Merchandising Officer Martha Hale to learn more about the story behind the brand, their sustainable efforts, and how they are working to build a better food system.

What inspired the founders to launch Imperfect Foods?

Imperfect Foods started with an idea from co-founder Ben Simon when he was a student at the University of Maryland. He noticed a lot of perfectly good food was being thrown away in the cafeteria, and in response started a nonprofit on campus called the Food Recovery Network. From there, he joined forces with co-founder Ben Chesler and set out to make an even bigger impact outside campus walls. In 2015, they founded Imperfect Produce to take a bite out of food waste in an effort to create a better food system in this country. In 2019, we became Imperfect Foods as we expanded our categories and distribution to include everyday grocery and pantry items, and to create an even bigger impact on the food system. 

Can you share a little about your background and what led you to the company?

I have always been a food and a product geek, so grocery and food merchandising has been the perfect fit for me. I started out in the grocery industry doing global sourcing. From there, I led product innovation and global expansion for consumable food spaces, consulted on seafood sustainability practices, and worked on launches for multiple categories including health and beauty, beverages, and more. 

What makes foods “imperfect” and how does shopping at Imperfect Foods help to eliminate food waste? 

“Imperfect” foods are any items that don’t meet the strict cosmetic standards of grocery stores – whether it’s a small oddity in appearance based on shape, size or color. These quirks have no impact on flavor or nutrition, yet would otherwise have a lesser outcome (going to landfill, compost, tilled under, animal feed, consignment market, or processing). 

At Imperfect Foods, we buy these items and deliver them to customers at an affordable price. To date, we have saved over 100 million lbs of food. For our private label specifically, we have created grocery products that help build a better food system but also surprise and delight. For example, our chocolate-covered pretzels use pretzel pieces and ends that would normally end up discarded. We cover them in chocolate to create something delicious that also aligns with our mission. 

How does Imperfect Foods sustainably and ethically source products? 

Our supply chain allows us to connect directly with farmers, producers, and wholesale distributor partners - it all depends on need. We have an incredible network and pipeline for learning about excess products, and are proud to continually offer a viable revenue stream to our partners. With the majority of our partners, we source food they’re not able to sell to traditional retailers because of arbitrary standards or surplus. 

For our new health and beauty line, we sourced from superfoods such as Fair Trade Himalayan seaberries, which were chosen due to their ability to revive and nourish the hair and skin while Manuka honey and avocado are known for their hydrating and healing properties 

Do you have a favorite story that you can share about a product that Imperfect has offered and how providing it to customers helped eliminate waste? 

Yes! We’re always trying to think of new ways to ensure we do our part in minimizing food waste. Recently, at the onset of COVID, we partnered with airlines to buy snack trays that were no longer being offered to passengers as well as popcorn kernels destined for closed movie theaters. 

What are some of the most popular products from Imperfect Foods? 

Our “sunburnt” dried mango is wildly popular. Since they’re too “discolored” for traditional retailers, we upcycle them into this fun snack. We also have “blemished” almonds that don’t live up to the cosmetic specifications retailers are looking for, but they’re just as delicious! 

One of my favorite things as a customer of Imperfect Foods is learning about new foods that I’ve never tried before. My favorite discovery so far was the finger lime. Do you have any favorite items or something new that you recommend trying when it’s available? 

My personal favorite private label items were our limited-edition items in the holiday collection last year, including Nutty Toffee Morsels, Broken Almond Pieces, and Peppermint and Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Pieces – a holiday twist on the pretzel pieces we currently offer. The holiday assortment was our first venture into whimsical packaging design, and our customers really loved it! 

Imperfect is now offering a new selection of “bathroom pantry” items. Can you share a little about these items and what makes them good sustainable options for people to add to their daily routines? 

Our health and beauty items are a continuation of our dedication to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. The entire product lineup is made with no more than ten food-based ingredients that otherwise would have had a lesser outcome, all sustainably sourced, and made in our solar-powered facility with recyclable packaging. This launch is helping to solidify our role as a full-service online grocer. 

What steps does Imperfect take towards providing sustainable packaging for products? 

Currently, most of our private-labeled goods are delivered in recyclable packaging. Deliveries come in a recyclable cardboard box made from 100% recycled materials and fragile items within them are packaged in small paper bags for quality assurance. Since we aim to reduce packaging as much as possible, our orders contain minimal packaging. We’re also currently working on bringing back our box reuse program, which was paused due to COVID-19, through which we invite consumers to return their broken down boxes which are then donated to local food banks to use. Many of our partners go through thousands of boxes a month to distribute food, and that expense can become a burden for volunteers. We’re thrilled to begin this again once it’s deemed safe to do so. 

How does Imperfect work with nonprofits to help increase access to food for those in need? 

Since launch, we have worked closely with food banks across the country, establishing impactful partnerships that focus on driving access to good food in local communities while eliminating food waste and building a better food system. To date, we’ve donated 5 million pounds of food to 100+ nonprofits and food bank partners. We’re committed to support nonprofits in every market we serve. 

Do you have any fun facts about Imperfect Foods or is there anything else we should know?

For fun sustainable tips and information on our private label assortment (in addition to the items from our health and beauty launch), you can visit Imperfect Foods’ blog, The Whole Carrot, or listen to Imperfect Foods’ podcast, Unwasted!

Lizzy Sherman is an award-winning digital content writer/editor. She has been a featured guest speaker at Cal State University Northridge, Digital LA and The National Association of Audience Marketing Professionals. When she's not writing, Lizzy enjoys yoga and playing guitar. Follow her on Instagram: @zillizy