Brave Robot Ice Cream, owned by The Urgent Company, is set to become the first dairy ice cream in US grocery stores to publish its carbon footprint on its packaging. The company is responding to retailers and consumers’ demand for more sustainable food options with smaller environmental footprints.

As part of The Urgent Company’s mission to deliver more planet-friendly alternatives, the brand is conducting an independent life cycle assessment (LCA). 

The initial findings of that study show the total carbon footprint for its ice cream pint is 0.76 kg CO2e, or the equivalent of driving 1.9 miles in a passenger car, according to the EPA Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Equivalencies Calculator. 

Brave Robot ice cream’s low carbon footprint is partially made possible by its use of animal-free whey protein from Perfect Day. Perfect Day’s protein production reduces GHG emissions by at least 85 percent and up to 97 percent, compared to conventional production methods of bovine whey, as stated in their ISO-certified, third-party-validated LCA.

Quantifying environmental impact
Consumers are focusing more on the environmental footprint of their food choices. 

“Reducing the impact of manufacturing the foods we love is at the core of what we do,” says Paul Kollesoff, founder and general manager at The Urgent Company. 

“To improve anything, you have to measure it first. We will continue to quantify our environmental impact in the months ahead, giving our customers a deeper understanding of how they benefit the planet when they choose Brave Robot over a traditional dairy pint of ice cream.”

In addition to product ingredients, sustainable packaging also contributes to a lower carbon footprint. Brave Robot ice cream is packaged in an FSC-certified paper container, with recyclable sugarcane-derived liners and petroleum-free seals.

Brave Robot will begin to feature the GHG emissions of each pint on the packaging, along with an accompanying QR code driving to BraveRobot.co/impact wher customers can dive deeper into the brand’s commitment to sustainability.

The statement will be printed on the safety seal of each pint, under the lid, and will migrate to the side panel by 2022.

A growing trend
Carbon labeling on consumer products is a growing trend, while energy efficiency in production and processing is also crucial to packaging’s total CO2 impact. 

This is highlighted in Innova Market Insights’ second top packaging trend for 2021 “The Carbon Catalyst.” 

Meanwhile, in line with Innova Market Insights’ top trend for 2021, “Transparency Triumphs,” consumers are looking for more transparency about the ingredients and its processes.

“We believe that greater transparency around GHG emission metrics is an important step to promote climate literacy,” adds Jon Spear, vice president of marketing at The Urgent Company. 

The company wants people to understand the smallest changes in diet can have an outsized impact on the climate.

“For retailers interested in reducing their overall impact, Brave Robot Ice Cream is an opportunity for them to carry items in line with the growing demand for planet-friendly options, reducing their own impact in the process,” Spear notes.

Brave Robot is available for US$5.99 in the US in more than 5,000 retail locations.