We are so excited to announce that Thistle has officially joined the Plastic Recovery Pledge in partnership with rePurpose Global – the world's leading Plastic Action Platform dedicated to reducing waste, reviving lives, and restoring nature's balance.
This means we’re taking direct action to reduce plastic pollution by funding the recovery and ethical processing of plastic waste that would otherwise pollute natural ecosystems. In 2025 alone, our support will remove an estimated 75,000 pounds of nature- and ocean-bound plastic — that’s the equivalent of about 3.6 million plastic bottles that won’t end up in rivers, oceans or other natural habitats.
A Step Forward — Not the Final Destination
Plastic is a deeply complex, global problem, and while we continue to explore more sustainable alternatives, including reusable packaging, we’re also committed to taking responsibility for the plastic we can’t yet eliminate. That’s why this partnership with rePurpose is so important to us: it allows us to act now to take immediate, meaningful action on plastic pollution while we also work toward a longer-term solution.
Our Foundation of Sustainability
Reducing our environmental impact has always been core to how Thistle operates. Our sustainability strategy goes far beyond packaging — it’s baked into everything we do:
- Leading with Plants: Eating a plant-forward diet is the single most impactful way to reduce your overall environmental footprint, from climate change to freshwater and land footprints to air and water pollution to habitat loss and species extinction. Not eating meat and dairy can reduce your dietary carbon footprint by ~75%. Since 2013, we’ve helped tens of thousands of customers reduce their meat consumption for the benefit of the planet.
- Carbon neutral deliveries: We offset our carbon emissions from last mile deliveries by supporting projects that preserve critical forest ecosystems, reduce pollution, and improve livelihoods.
- Minimizing food waste: Thistle produces far less food waste than the average consumer purchasing groceries and cooking at home. When we do have surplus food, we divert tens of thousands of pounds of produce to our line of delicious soups, and donate extra food and finished meals to those experiencing food insecurity in our community.
- Reusable packaging: We hand deliver and offer a reusable bag and ice pack return program to cut down on single-use materials – no mountains of cardboard here!
When it comes to our meal packaging, we’ve made progress – our containers are 100% recyclable, made from 15% post-consumer recycled materials, and manufactured using 15% solar energy. While we’ve explored many alternative packaging options, we continue to use plastic because we’ve found it best protects the freshness and safety of our food. Additionally, in many cases, alternative materials (like many compostables) involve other complex environmental tradeoffs, including higher emissions, food waste, or lower recyclability. It’s a complicated problem, and we’re committed to finding the best solutions for both people and the planet as technology evolves.
Given this reality, that’s why we’ve chosen to partner with rePurpose: to take immediate action helping to clean up plastic pollution where the need is greatest today, while we continue to work on better, longer term solutions.
Why rePurpose? Why India?
The answer to the first question is simple: rePurpose is the world’s leading plastic action platform, delivering real-world impact through programs that remove waste and empower communities around the world. They help companies like ours take immediate action on plastic pollution through funding initiatives that remove or recycle plastic waste from the environment. rePurpose operates 14 impact projects across Colombia, Cameroon, Kenya, India, Indonesia, and more, addressing local plastic waste pollution while contributing to the economic empowerment of marginalized workers by providing a crucial income stream and a safe work environment. rePurpose Global has a proven track record: their work has already removed 78 million pounds of plastic waste from nature and positively impacted the lives of thousands worldwide.
Through our partnership, we’re supporting three high-impact rePurpose projects in Kerala, Maharashtra, and Karnataka — regions in India where plastic pollution poses urgent environmental and social challenges.
Why not invest in plastic recovery efforts here in the United States? The answer lies in where we can make the biggest difference. While plastic waste is a global issue, the environmental and social consequences are not evenly distributed. In the U.S., most communities have at least some access to modern waste management systems. In many parts of the Global South, especially in countries like India, waste infrastructure is limited and underfunded. As a result, enormous volumes of plastic — especially low-value items like chip bags and food wrappers — end up in nature, clogging waterways and harming wildlife.
With this in mind, here are the rePurpose projects we’re proud to support:
In Kerala, Project Hara Kal, supports a network of women-run Material Recovery Facilities to capture ocean-bound plastic while creating income opportunities in underserved communities.
In Maharashtra, Project Anant Pranay, another initiative that elevates a community of local women, is bringing plastic waste management to the more than 1 million people of Aurangabad.
In Karnataka, Project Anmol Kinara works to prevent plastic from leaking into the Arabian Sea by bringing waste management to over 300 villages.
These programs don’t just remove plastic — they create jobs, build community resilience, and move us all closer to a circular economy. And for us, they hit close to home: Our co-founder Ash is from Kerala and has family in both Kerala and Karnataka. He’s seen firsthand how powerful this work can be.
What’s Next
This partnership is a big milestone — but it’s not the end of the road. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate single-use plastics from our supply chain wherever we can and achieve Plastic Neutral Certification through rePurpose for any plastic we can’t eliminate.
While we continue to innovate on sustainable packaging, we believe it’s our responsibility to address plastic pollution today – especially where the impact is greatest. We plan to continue investing in meaningful recovery programs to create real, on-the-ground impact as we work toward our longer term goals.
To learn more about our sustainability efforts and how you are a part of the solution, visit thistle.co/sustainability. To explore rePurpose Global’s mission and impact, visit repurpose.global.
Your support makes moments like this possible — thank you.
We are so excited to announce that Thistle has officially joined the Plastic Recovery Pledge in partnership with rePurpose Global – the world's leading Plastic Action Platform dedicated to reducing waste, reviving lives, and restoring nature's balance.
This means we’re taking direct action to reduce plastic pollution by funding the recovery and ethical processing of plastic waste that would otherwise pollute natural ecosystems. In 2025 alone, our support will remove an estimated 75,000 pounds of nature- and ocean-bound plastic — that’s the equivalent of about 3.6 million plastic bottles that won’t end up in rivers, oceans or other natural habitats.
A Step Forward — Not the Final Destination
Plastic is a deeply complex, global problem, and while we continue to explore more sustainable alternatives, including reusable packaging, we’re also committed to taking responsibility for the plastic we can’t yet eliminate. That’s why this partnership with rePurpose is so important to us: it allows us to act now to take immediate, meaningful action on plastic pollution while we also work toward a longer-term solution.
Our Foundation of Sustainability
Reducing our environmental impact has always been core to how Thistle operates. Our sustainability strategy goes far beyond packaging — it’s baked into everything we do:
- Leading with Plants: Eating a plant-forward diet is the single most impactful way to reduce your overall environmental footprint, from climate change to freshwater and land footprints to air and water pollution to habitat loss and species extinction. Not eating meat and dairy can reduce your dietary carbon footprint by ~75%. Since 2013, we’ve helped tens of thousands of customers reduce their meat consumption for the benefit of the planet.
- Carbon neutral deliveries: We offset our carbon emissions from last mile deliveries by supporting projects that preserve critical forest ecosystems, reduce pollution, and improve livelihoods.
- Minimizing food waste: Thistle produces far less food waste than the average consumer purchasing groceries and cooking at home. When we do have surplus food, we divert tens of thousands of pounds of produce to our line of delicious soups, and donate extra food and finished meals to those experiencing food insecurity in our community.
- Reusable packaging: We hand deliver and offer a reusable bag and ice pack return program to cut down on single-use materials – no mountains of cardboard here!
When it comes to our meal packaging, we’ve made progress – our containers are 100% recyclable, made from 15% post-consumer recycled materials, and manufactured using 15% solar energy. While we’ve explored many alternative packaging options, we continue to use plastic because we’ve found it best protects the freshness and safety of our food. Additionally, in many cases, alternative materials (like many compostables) involve other complex environmental tradeoffs, including higher emissions, food waste, or lower recyclability. It’s a complicated problem, and we’re committed to finding the best solutions for both people and the planet as technology evolves.
Given this reality, that’s why we’ve chosen to partner with rePurpose: to take immediate action helping to clean up plastic pollution where the need is greatest today, while we continue to work on better, longer term solutions.
Why rePurpose? Why India?
The answer to the first question is simple: rePurpose is the world’s leading plastic action platform, delivering real-world impact through programs that remove waste and empower communities around the world. They help companies like ours take immediate action on plastic pollution through funding initiatives that remove or recycle plastic waste from the environment. rePurpose operates 14 impact projects across Colombia, Cameroon, Kenya, India, Indonesia, and more, addressing local plastic waste pollution while contributing to the economic empowerment of marginalized workers by providing a crucial income stream and a safe work environment. rePurpose Global has a proven track record: their work has already removed 78 million pounds of plastic waste from nature and positively impacted the lives of thousands worldwide.
Through our partnership, we’re supporting three high-impact rePurpose projects in Kerala, Maharashtra, and Karnataka — regions in India where plastic pollution poses urgent environmental and social challenges.
Why not invest in plastic recovery efforts here in the United States? The answer lies in where we can make the biggest difference. While plastic waste is a global issue, the environmental and social consequences are not evenly distributed. In the U.S., most communities have at least some access to modern waste management systems. In many parts of the Global South, especially in countries like India, waste infrastructure is limited and underfunded. As a result, enormous volumes of plastic — especially low-value items like chip bags and food wrappers — end up in nature, clogging waterways and harming wildlife.
With this in mind, here are the rePurpose projects we’re proud to support:
In Kerala, Project Hara Kal, supports a network of women-run Material Recovery Facilities to capture ocean-bound plastic while creating income opportunities in underserved communities.
In Maharashtra, Project Anant Pranay, another initiative that elevates a community of local women, is bringing plastic waste management to the more than 1 million people of Aurangabad.
In Karnataka, Project Anmol Kinara works to prevent plastic from leaking into the Arabian Sea by bringing waste management to over 300 villages.
These programs don’t just remove plastic — they create jobs, build community resilience, and move us all closer to a circular economy. And for us, they hit close to home: Our co-founder Ash is from Kerala and has family in both Kerala and Karnataka. He’s seen firsthand how powerful this work can be.
What’s Next
This partnership is a big milestone — but it’s not the end of the road. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate single-use plastics from our supply chain wherever we can and achieve Plastic Neutral Certification through rePurpose for any plastic we can’t eliminate.
While we continue to innovate on sustainable packaging, we believe it’s our responsibility to address plastic pollution today – especially where the impact is greatest. We plan to continue investing in meaningful recovery programs to create real, on-the-ground impact as we work toward our longer term goals.
To learn more about our sustainability efforts and how you are a part of the solution, visit thistle.co/sustainability. To explore rePurpose Global’s mission and impact, visit repurpose.global.
Your support makes moments like this possible — thank you.
Introducing Our Plastic Recovery Pledge
