Snap Kitchen, a retailer of fresh and healthy food designed to fit one’s lifestyle, launched its efforts toward an even more sustainable business model with an all-market rollout of compostable, eco-friendly packaging. The new packaging will launch in 35 locations across Austin, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia. The organization made the decision to shift toward utilizing plant-based packaging as a step in reducing its environmental impact.

By making the switch from the current recyclable plastic trays to the new packaging, Snap Kitchen will reduce its use of plastic by 500,000 pounds annually.

“We believe in clean eating for a cleaner earth and make every meal from scratch daily,” said Dale Easdon, CEO of Snap Kitchen, in a statement. “Since inception, our commitment to locally sourced products, responsibly sourced meats and ingredients containing zero additives or GMOs has been paramount. We’re thrilled to round out our commitment to our customers by offering an eco-friendly container to remain a sustainable and eco-conscious company.”

Snap Kitchen has partnered on the initiative with World Centric, a social and environmentally conscious manufacturer of compostable products that donates 25 percent of its profits to global grassroots social and environmental programs.

The organization’s movement toward utilizing an eco-friendly packaging creates a global impact and provides benefits for its consumers who are conscious about their carbon footprint. With the energy that it previously took to create one petroleum plastic tray, five new compostable trays can be produced, the company noted. Additionally, the change to compostable trays will reduce Snap Kitchen’s carbon emissions from packaging manufacturing by 66 percent.

According to the company, the packaging will be microwave and oven safe and each dish will be equipped with proper heating instructions on their packaging label. The one-time use containers can be easily discarded in a compost bin or included in a conventional garbage canister, as they contribute zero toxicity to the environment.