The Sustainable Act podcast makes a return with a new episode and inspiring interview all about making a global impact. On the latest episode, I sit down with Kori Chiliback, one of the cofounders of The Earth Group, to learn more about their company, how it started and what they have accomplished thus far.
The Earth Group exists entirely to provide school meals, water and education to children globally through their partnership with the United Nations' World Food Programme. The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. As the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against hunger, WFP is continually responding to emergencies. They save lives by getting food to those who need it most, in part through their school feeding programmes.
Kori and longtime friend and cofounder Matt Moreau discovered the mass impact and current reality that a large percent of the world lives in and went on to start the B-corp company in 2006. So far, The Earth Group has products sold in 1,500 locations and through their sales, 3,782,000 school meals have been provided!
I was first introduced to Earth Group in 2020 while working on Netflix's Another Life season 2 as a sustainability coordinator. We had just returned from a 5 month hiatus due to the pandemic and I was on a hunt for a sustainable alternative to single use waters. I learned about Earth Group's 100% aluminum bottled water that is resealable and infinitely recyclable. It is also one of the only companies in Canada to carry an aluminum packed water bottle.
Aluminum has a 2 month turnaround when sent to a recycling facility and turned back to an aluminium can. It is one of the few materials that doesn't require brand new resources in the production phase. And it was even greater to know this was a small Canadian business that was available to help us out!
Each case of the aluminum water sold funds a week of school meals and cleans up the equivalent of 24 500mL plastic bottles from oceans and waterways. The group works with cafes, hotels, restaurants, catering companies, grocery retailers and more across the country. And now... the film industry! :)
Along with aluminum water, the company also carries fair trade Earth Coffee sourced from Central and South America and Earth Tea, the only teas that is harvested in Canada, hand picked in an isolated family farm where no cars or large populations are allowed in Alberta.
Learn more about The Earth Group and get in touch with the team directly if you are interested in learning more or would like to purchase products by visiting their website: https://earthgroup.org/
Listen to the inspiring interview with Kori at The Earth Group on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and our website - available now!
Behind the scenes of using the infamous aluminum, reusable Earth Water on set of my show Another Life season 2!
To a sustainable future!
THE SUSTAINABLE ACT
WITH SMIELY KHURANA