Unpacking Sustainability: Ambrosia Produce Bag’s Commitment to the Environment Stretches Far Beyond Preventing Food Waste
Ambrosia puts environmental stability and eco-consciousness at the forefront of their brand, from product to post-sale
Inspired by family methods and collaborations with traditional linen mills across Europe, Ambrosia has developed handcrafted, reusable bags that extend the life of fresh produce.
As well as preventing food waste, the family-owned company prioritizes the responsible sourcing of flax linen, fair living wages for workers, and the durability and quality of their products.
And not content to stop there, the team has expanded their goals to aid environmental efforts.
Via their partnership with Ecodrive, Ambrosia plants a tree for every order placed online - removing C02 from the atmosphere, creating work days for local communities, and building towards a greener planet.
This week we sat down with Jordan Grieg, Co-Owner and Co-Operator, to delve into the origins of the business and to see how Ecodrive has helped Ambrosia make eco-friendly strides.
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Ecodrive: Hey Jordan, thanks for joining us! Could you give us a brief rundown of who you and your company are, and how you got started with your business?
Jordan: Hi there! My name is Jordan, and with my mom, I own and operate Ambrosia Bag.
Our story began in 2016 when my mom, faced with an abundant basil harvest, sought a better storage solution. Inspired by her grandmother's method of using damp linen to keep greens fresh, she spent a few hours in the sewing room and created the first Ambrosia Bag.
Driven by a passion for quality, her journey led her to Scotland and Belgium, where she collaborated with traditional linen mills to discover the ideal weave for preserving fresh produce. This dedication to excellence has been at the heart of Ambrosia from day one.
While our primary goal remains extending the life of fresh produce, we've embraced a broader mission: reducing plastic waste, helping consumers save money by preventing premature spoilage, and supporting local artisans in Southern California who handcraft each bag. To date, we've sold nearly 40,000 bags, each one a testament to our commitment to sustainability and quality.
Wow, Ambrosia Bag has a really inspiring history and it’s clear that sustainability has played a key role in the start-up of your business. How important do you think sustainability is to your customers?
We believe that sustainability is one of the foremost drivers of our customers' purchasing decisions. It's now widely recognized that our daily choices collectively have a real impact on the future. We also understand that our customers tend to be very careful in their purchasing decisions and are wary of greenwashing, so we do our best to lead by example at every opportunity.
We believe in responsible business practices. We source only sustainably grown flax linen, ensure fair wages for all our workers, and prioritize durability, creating products that last. While these choices may increase our upfront costs, they align with our values and those of our conscientious customers.
We're proud to offer products that respect both people and the planet, leading by example in the fight against waste and unsustainable practices. Join us in our mission to preserve freshness, reduce waste, and make a positive impact on the world, one Ambrosia Bag at a time.
In your journey towards sustainability and being environmentally transparent to your customers, why did you choose to integrate Ecodrive into your business?
In an effort to help counterbalance the environmental impact of our daily order shipments, we decided to plant a tree for each order placed. This approach seemed perfectly logical.
That’s great! How easy was setting-up and managing Ecodrive technology?
Setting up Ecodrive was remarkably simple, with the entire onboarding process taking no more than an hour.
We’re glad to hear that! And since integrating Ecodrive with your business, how have you communicated your Ecodrive partnership to customers?
We proudly showcase our Ecodrive partnership on our landing page and across social media platforms.
What impact has partnering with Ecodrive had on your key business metrics?
Our Ecodrive partnership has, above all, boosted customer engagement and brand trust!
Amazing to hear! With sustainability at the forefront of your business, how do you practice sustainability in your own life?
Sustainability has been ingrained in me since childhood, thanks to my mother's early teachings. As an adult, these practices come naturally.
My favorite eco-friendly habits include growing organic food in our backyard, harvesting rainwater when possible, and composting all food and yard waste. I also prioritize avoiding single-use containers and plastic packaging.
Perhaps most crucially, I practice mindful consumption to prevent overbuying. These sustainable practices reflect the valuable lessons I learned early in life about living in harmony with our environment.
Are there any other sustainability projects that you would like to see Ecodrive support?
I'd love to see some awareness campaigns in local schools to highlight these important efforts to young individuals.
Watch this space…! It’s clear that your business and the development of your product has been full of learnings. What’s one piece of advice that changed your business?
The best advice I've received is that worthwhile endeavors are never easy. They demand resilience and the ability to learn quickly from failures.
We’re sure many of the brands that work with Ecodrive people will find that relatable. What are you working on for 2025?
We're thrilled to announce that in 2025, we'll be expanding our product line for the first time since Ambrosia started in 2016!
That’s really exciting! We can’t wait to see what new products you’ll introduce. In the spirit of sustainability, we’d love to know, what’s your favorite tree or marine animal?
The coelacanth is my favorite marine animal because it's like a living time capsule from the depths of our oceans. This prehistoric fish, once thought extinct for millions of years, was amazingly rediscovered in 1938. What fascinates me most is its unique evolutionary status - it's one of our closest fish relatives, with lobed fins that hint at the transition from sea to land. Its ancient appearance, with a hinged jaw and armored scales, makes me feel like I'm looking at a creature from Earth's distant past. T
he fact that it has survived virtually unchanged for hundreds of millions of years, outlasting even the dinosaurs, never fails to amaze me. For me, the coelacanth embodies the mysteries of evolution and the resilience of life on our planet.
That is a really interesting and unique answer! Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We're deeply grateful to every customer who recognizes produce waste as a serious issue and chooses to change their daily habits. Their willingness to adopt better daily habits truly gives us hope for the future!
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Ambrosia Bag demonstrates that practicality and sustainability can coexist by making good quality products that also leave a good impact on the environment.
Shop Ambrosia’s eco-friendly linen food bags here where they have committed to planting a tree for every online order through their partnership with Ecodrive.
Your company can do the same and contribute to tree planting projects via Ecodrive’s website here.