By Helene Caillate and Ivan Giraud of GoGo squeeZ
CSR and sustainability allows us to enact positive change. It defines who we are, how we make decisions and where we channel our efforts, investments and resources. Our mission and purpose have always been ingrained in our brand DNA. We believe in conducting business in ways that empower kids and families to be healthier and happier every day, support wellness for all people and preserve the environment. It’s very encouraging to see that this idea resonates strongly with our community – both employees and consumers. This motivates us to use our business as a force for good. And while we understand we are not a very large organization; we know that we can still make a difference with our actions and by inspiring others to do the same.
To make exceptional applesauce we must grow exceptional apples. The care of planet, nature and local communities underpins everything we think, how we support our communities and the ecosystem of our production. With that said we have elevated our mission throughout the years to bring it closer to our CSR and sustainability values.
Brands and businesses can join forces to address the planet’s biggest challenges. By learning from each other we can accelerate change. One partner we’ve joined with is TerraCycle® to create a free recycling program for healthy snack plastic pouches and caps, as well as a fundraising opportunity for participants. Via TerraCycle, our pouches are transformed into new recycled products like park benches, garden lumber and playgrounds. To date, GoGo squeeZ and TerraCycle have collected and recycled almost 6.5 million pouches and donated over $110K to local school and non-profit organizations, reaching 14,000 children with our nutrition and wellness programs.
We’re firm advocates for kids’ wellbeing and believe that nutrition plays a very important part. Making snacks for kids is a huge responsibility. Not only because there are environmental consequences to doing it poorly, we’re also providing nourishment for our future generation. Our job is to inspire families to lead a healthy and active lifestyle, spend time together outside, explore and create, all while nourishing their bodies with nutrient-rich foods.
We believe in a more sustainable, healthier, and more inclusive world tomorrow. We see our company as a force for good. Our decisions are made to positively contribute to our community, to reduce and restore our planet, and to drive the growth of healthy and nutritious foods from the best of Nature for All.