Wonky and surplus food subscription service Earth & Wheat has teamed up with eco-friendly cleaning products company The Seep Company as part of a new partnership for Zero Waste Week.
Samples of the cleaning brand’s eco-sponge will be delivered in 800 bread and vegetables combi boxes as part of Zero Waste Week which takes places all this week (September 2-6).
The eco sponge with scourer is made from wood pulp and loofah and is fully compostable unlike regular plastic sponges which release microplastics every time they are used.
Seep is on a mission to prevent one billion plastic cleaning items from ending up in landfill by 2030 and has already diverted 3.5 million items (10.1 tons of waste) from landfills since launch.
Earth & Wheat, shares a similar ethos to Seep as it was launched to stop food from being wasted at the point it is produced because it is an odd or wonky shape or it is too big or small in size. It has so far rescued 600 tonnes of food from going to waste, while donating over 300,000 meals to food charities.
Set up by entrepreneur James Eid, the Signature Flatbreads-owned brand introduced the world’s first wonky bread box in 2021 by rescuing breads from bakeries which would otherwise have been binned due to strict retailers’ standards. The award-winning Food Tech brand has since moved into other markets, including wonky and surplus vegetables.
“Earth & Wheat is delighted to partner with The Seep Company as part of Zero Waste Week,” said Eid.
“We’re two brands that have much in common – we’re both trying to eliminate things that hurt our planet. Earth & Wheat is committed to reducing food waste, while Seep offers a clever alternative to polluting plastic products.
“This is one of several planned collaborations this year as we’re keen to promote as many other sustainable brands which shares our passion at helping to try and preserve our world for the sake of future generations.”
#ZeroWasteWeek is an annual awareness campaign which aims to help householders, businesses, organisations, schools, universities and community groups reduce landfill waste in order to save money, preserve resources and protect the environment.
Laura Harnett, Founder at The Seep Company, said: “Earth & Wheat has the same mission as Seep – to prevent wastage and ensure we live in the most sustainable way possible. Many people have switched to eco-friendly cleaning sprays and detergents but aren’t aware that the tools they use to clean are full of plastic which ends up in landfill at the end of its life. If everyone makes one small change to live more sustainably this Zero Waste Week then it will make a huge difference.”
The Seep Company was founded in 2020 by Laura Harnett and stands for ‘sustainable everyday essential products’ offering a range of eco-friendly, plastic-free cleaning solutions. This includes compostable bin bags, bamboo multi-purpose cleaning cloths, reusable kitchen sponge scourers and eco- rubber gloves. The business is a certified B Corporation which means it has been independently verified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.