North Coast Organic is committed to using sustainable business practices that make us better stewards of the environment. We are constantly looking for ways to lower our energy usage and carbon footprint, while continuing to provide our customers with the wholesome organic apple products they love.

Following are just some of our sustainability practices:

We create renewable energy through solar power – We have completely covered our primary warehouse with solar roof panels. Currently, 57% of the energy we use to produce our organic apple products comes from these panels. In the near future, we plan to generate all of our needs with on-site solar power generation.

We practice smart water management – As California has sustained multiple years of drought, particularly recently, we have become more concerned about how much water we use in our production processes. In fact, we have a full time staff member dedicated to minimizing our water usage. We also want to ensure that the water we use can be re-purposed after we are finished with it. We have three large onsite holding ponds to capture our production water. The ponds have become a thriving habitat for a growing and very happy bird population. Whenever our ponds become too full, the water is used to irrigate nearby fields.

We use the whole apple – We use traditional processing methods to produce our apple sauces, juices and vinegars, so there’s very little waste. What is leftover is something known as apple pomice, which if thrown away, could cause environmental pollution. Instead, local farmers pick up the pomice multiple times a day to feed to their organic livestock. Apple pomice is a rich source of carbohydrate, pectin, crude fiber, and minerals, and is a good source of nutrients, which makes for some very happy California cows!

Our apple sauce pouches can be recycled – We have developed a partnership with TerraCycle, an innovative recycling company, to recycle and reuse our apple sauce pouches. Consumers can send their pouches to TerraCycle, free of charge, so the pouches can be made into other useful products, such as thick padding for playgrounds. Visit www.terracycle.com for more information on how we can join together in creating a better planet for all, one small step at a time.

We use environmentally friendly packaging and shipping materials – We are always careful to use packaging and shipping materials that are easy on the environment. For example, our apple sauces, juices and vinegars are packaged and sold in glass bottles that can be recycled. The cardboard boxes that are shipped out are the same boxes that the empty glass was delivered in. When shipping out small orders, we also reuse cardboard and use packing pellets that are compostable rather than made from Styrofoam.

As we move into the future, we know that there will be more improved methods developed to help companies like ours be easier on the environment. We look forward to taking advantage of those innovations as they become available.

North Coast Organic apple products are made in Sebastopol, CA from U.S. grown certified organic apples. They contain no added sugars, preservatives, colorings or flavorings.