Female-Founded Vegan Gelato Sacred Serve Debuts World’s First 100% Zero-Plastic Recyclable Ice Cream Cartons

Sacred Serve, a Chicago-based female-founded vegan gelato startup has debuted the world’s first 100% recyclable ice cream cartons. Made from paper-based fibre, the new completely plastic-free cartons developed by London-headquartered packaging firm Delipac are also compostable and biodegradable. 

Plant-based gelato brand Sacred Serve has debuted the world’s first completely plastic-free and recyclable ice cream cartons, developed by British sustainable packaging company Delipac. The first-of-a-kind polymer and plastic-free cartons, which are also compostable and biodegradable, are made from a paper-based fibre lined with a food-safe water-based barrier solution that ensures that the container is robust enough to hold sauces, liquids and foods at both high oven and deep freeze temperatures. 

Kailey Donewald, founder and CEO of Sacred Serve, says that introducing new sustainable cartons has been an ambition for the brand since its inception in 2017. 

Packaging has been a major problem for the frozen set as a whole, and we’re thrilled to introduce a solution that will help push the entire category forward.

Kailey Donewald, Founder & CEO, Sacred Serve

“It has been my goal since day one to find a sustainable solution for Sacred Serve’s packaging. As a young brand, it can be incredibly challenging to find a partner willing to work with you on an initiative such as this,” explained Donewald. 

“Our mission has always been to change the landscape of food being offered to consumers. We’re so excited to be able to do this from a nutritional as well as a sustainability standpoint. Packaging has been a major problem for the frozen set as a whole, and we’re thrilled to introduce a solution that will help push the entire category forward,” she added. 

Sacred Serve says that as the first brand to debut 100% recyclable ice cream cartons, they are also highlighting the shocking fact that up until now, such options have yet to even exist, not even from big brands and companies that often have the manpower and budget to innovate new packaging. 

With the U.S. alone producing as much as 6.4 billion pounds of ice cream each year, the waste that is piling up from non-recyclable cartons “adds up in a big way”, the startup remarked, adding that many industry players have simply resorted to greenwashing tactics, using alternatives like cane sugar husks, which still contain a plastic polymer lining, making them not suitable for recycling, composting and are definitely not biodegradable. 

Never in the history of time have we been able to recycle an ice cream container because of this plastic. While the world loves ice cream, recycling centres do not.

Sacred Serve

“Historically, to protect from moisture and withstand freezer temperatures, there’s a plastic that lines the paperboard of every ice cream container. Never in the history of time have we been able to recycle an ice cream container because of this plastic. While the world loves ice cream, recycling centres do not,” wrote Sacred Serve in a press statement. 

The latest sustainability move from the young gelato brand is part of its climate-friendly ethos, which underpins its “plant-powered line” of ice creams. All their products are completely animal-free and vegan, made from certified organic young coconut meat instead of dairy, and other plant-based ingredients like adaptogenic herbs, medicinal mushrooms and coconut sugar. 

Compared to traditional dairy products, vegan alternatives are far less environmentally damaging because they require a fraction of the land, water usage and do not contribute as many emissions by virtue of eliminating livestock farming. According to a study conducted by Oxford researchers, producing one 200 ml glass of cow’s milk results in nearly 3 times the greenhouse gas emissions of any type of non-dairy milk. 

Some of the unique flavours that Sacred Serve currently offers includes Matcha Mint Chip, Chaga Chocolate, Coconut Salted Caramel, and Saffron Chai Spice, all of which are also gluten-free, allergen-friendly and paleo, as well as being suitable for plant-based folk.

All images courtesy of Sacred Serve.