Any raw material, or feedstock, inherently has some environmental cost. Some feedstocks - such as petroleum - have obvious negative impacts on the environment, while others are harder to quantify. Growing corn can have some negative ecological consequences, but how sustainably it's grown really determines its impact. As it grows, the corn plant pulls carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere and locks it into plant sugars. All of the corn used to make our product must be grown by the ISCC PLUS standard, which defines best practices in agriculture in terms of fertilizer use, etc. Corn is extremely efficient and grows quickly. It's not perfect, but right now it is the best option for a PLA feedstock
Rock wool is a common substrate used in floral arranging – it is ultimately made from basalt rock, which is mined in huge open pit mining operations. Much of the basalt is then shipped across the globe (most of it originates in Australia), where it is then melted at thousands of degrees using energy generated by burning fossil fuels and spun into a fiber. That process has a significant emissions footprint.
Peat moss is harvested from wetlands, mostly in Canada, where it will take decades to regrow the amount harvested in a given year. These delicate ecosystems are destroyed when the peat is harvested. The peat bogs are currently huge carbon deposits, and using them up releases significant carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the same problem we have with burning fossil fuels. A carbon trap is taken out of the ground and ultimately ends up in the air. Regulatory agencies are recognizing these environmental concerns – the U.K. government has banned peat in all home gardening applications starting in 2024. Further reductions will be implemented by 2026, and almost all peat products will be banned by 2030.
Coconut coir is a byproduct of coconut production, but it is mostly produced in Southeast Asia. It’s a labor intensive process that requires significant human resources, currently with a questionable record on human rights (workers processing coir are known to be at increased risk of asthma, for example). The material then has to go through significant treatment before it can be used in most applications. Typically this involves soaking and rinsing the coir in fresh water to remove excess salts and subsequently polluting the waterways. The treatment can use up to 600 L of water for each cubic meter of coconut pith in regions where there is already a shortage of freshwater. All of that wastewater is then dumped, with all the contaminants rinsed from the coir, directly into the environment.
No feedstock is 100% sustainable, but our goal is to inspire change and make the world a better place by offering a product that is better for the planet than the products that came before it. In an effort to continuously move forward, we will always strive to use better, more sustainable, practical alternative feedstocks.
See:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sale-of-horticultural-peat-to-be-banned-in-move-to-protect-englands-precious-peatlands
https://deframedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/24/media-reporting-on-peat-ban-for-the-professional-horticulture-sector/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30477054/
https://randd.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=18114
