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Sweet Sustainability: Why Medjool Dates are a Deliciously Eco-Friendly Choice

Apr 19, 2023 | By: Natural Delights
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When it comes to sustainable food choices, Natural Delights Medjool Dates are a top contender. These luscious, caramel-like fruits have been cherished for centuries for their rich flavor and natural sweetness, but they also offer numerous environmental benefits that make them a sustainable choice for you and your family. From their eco-friendly growing practices to their low carbon footprint and waste reduction, Medjool dates are an ideal snack that can be enjoyed with your health and the environment in mind.

Eco-friendly Growing Practices

Natural Delights Medjool dates are grown using eco-friendly and regenerative agricultural practices. Unlike many other crops, Medjool dates require very little water to grow, making them a water-efficient choice. Our date palm trees are grown using drip irrigation, which delivers water directly to the roots, reducing water waste through evaporation or runoff.

Natural Delights are also certified 100% glyphosate free. We utilize organic and natural methods for pest control and fertilization, which promote biodiversity and maintain healthy soil that is essential for long-term sustainability.

Low Carbon Footprint

Date palms contribute to carbon sequestration, which is the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Date palm trees are known for their ability to capture and store large amounts of carbon, making them an effective tool in mitigating climate change. In fact, the amount of carbon stored in our palm trees is the equivalent of reducing enough CO2 emissions to power 537 flights from Los Angeles to New York City.

Waste Reduction

Medjool dates are a zero-waste food choice. Every part of the date palm tree is used, leaving little to no waste. The fruit is harvested, and the pits are often used as animal feed and can be ground up to make flour. Any trimmed palm leaves are used as mulch and go back into the soil to supply additional nutrients. This means that Medjool palms not only provide us with delicious fruit, but they also minimize waste by utilizing all parts of the plant.

Recycled Packaging

Ever wonder why our tubs are green? It’s because we use 100% post-consumer recycled plastic to ensure that our product is delivered with the highest quality. Post-consumer recycled packaging has several environmental benefits. It conserves natural resources because it reduces the need for virgin materials, which require extraction, processing, and transportation, resulting in lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It also reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, helping to mitigate the environmental impacts associated with waste disposal, such as pollution and habitat destruction. Additionally, using post-consumer recycled packaging can help to promote a circular economy, where materials are recycled and reused in a continuous loop, reducing the reliance on finite resources and minimizing waste. Natural Delights has diverted 1.1 million pounds of plastic waste from landfills and oceans thanks to its post-consumer recycled packaging program. 

You may be wondering why we chose post-consumer recycled packaging for the majority of our products instead of cardboard or paper goods, and that’s a great question. While both packaging options are sustainable - one as a renewable resource, and the other as a recycled resource - our tubs consistently rank higher with shoppers because they lock in freshness and are resealable. Therefore, we provide the sustainable packaging that works best for our customers.

As you celebrate Earth Day this year, feel confident that choosing Natural Delights products are contributing not only to your health, but a more sustainable environment. Learn more about our growers, growing practices, and sustainability commitments on our website

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Edgar GalavizEdgar Galaviz is the Quality Compliance Manager for Natural Delights. He has spent over a decade with the brand, ensuring that all fields maintain the highest quality and safety standards. He is an integral part of the sustainability efforts at Natural Delights and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to date farming best practices.
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