Our Sustainable Delivery Program
A weekly delivery route from local farms in Florida emits about 62.3 lbs of CO2 per week, totaling 3,237.6 lbs annually.
In contrast, transporting produce by air from other states like Philadelphia or New York to Miami emits between 54,366 and 63,960 lbs of CO2 per weekly trip, amounting to around 3,326,720 lbs per year.
This highlights the significant difference in environmental impact, making it much more sustainable to transport products from local farms by road rather than relying on air transport from other states!
Our Recycling Program
By using a reusable bag instead of cardboard boxes, we're helping the environment and lowering our carbon footprint. By subscribing to Green Tomato, you're helping protect the environment from plastic pollution.
We pride ourselves on being a trailblazer in the community, and without your support, it couldn't be possible. We ask that you return your insulated tote bag to our driver so we can up-cycle them properly. It's important that you return your tote bags promptly by leaving them outside your door the day of your delivery. Customers who don't return their tote bags upon canceling will be charged a $15 unreturned bag fee.
In order to facilitate your bag drop off, we have partnered with these amazing local companies. You can drop off your bags at any of these locations listed below.
Thank you to all our partners for joining us in our mission toward a more sustainable future!
Aroa Craft Yogurt
- What motivated you to start this business? We don’t believe there has to be a trade-off between good taste, nutritional health, and convenience when it comes to food; people deserve better. We believe in changing people’s lives by breaking the mold of yogurt as a commodity, and proving that yogurt can be exciting, and make healthy eating simple, convenient, and absolutely pleasurable.
- How would you describe your business’s mission?: To bring joy and well-being to our consumers by crafting delicious yogurt products that are nutritious, fresh, minimally processed and at the same time, convenient and easy. “Eat Yogurt, Enjoy Life.”
- What are the biggest challenges you have faced as a local business owner?: Rebuilding our business from the ground up after losing our business in 2019 due to a gas explosion in a neighboring store.
- What actions has your business taken to support the local community?: We are committed to supporting local farmers, and have developed relationships with many, looking for ways to work together whenever possible, even creating "Limited Editions" to match what is available. We use and buy local fruit and veggies all year long. Over 70% of the fruit we use in our yogurts is grown here in Miami. We source our espresso locally, supporting another local business. Our milk is from Florida as well; we are at a number of Farmer's Markets throughout Broward and Miami also, and we also look for ways to work and collaborate with other vendors.
- Does your business incorporate sustainability practices? If so, what type of sustainable practices do you implement?: Yes, our packaging in 100% recyclable. We use both paper and compostable bags as well. In using local suppliers we also reduce our carbon footprint, and by being local and delivering directly to our customers, we keep reduce transportation costs. When we process our fruits, we reduce our food waste by using the whole fruit in many of our recipes, which has an environmental benefit as well as a nutritious one. For example, our Guava and Orange marmalades use the whole fruit- peel, pith, all of it!
- How important is sustainability to your business?: Very! We are always looking for ways in increase sustainability in our food, our packaging, our deliveries, our markets- all of our channels. We also feel strongly that by only using fresh, real, local ingredients, and no chemicals, preservatives or additives, we are creating and supporting the kinds of products that are ultimately more sustainable, less processed, and better for the environment.
- What are your future sustainability goals?:Changing our packaging from recyclable to compostable In the future, we would like to offer "collecting" the used yogurt containers for recycling, as many cities and town offer limited recycling options. We would love to add an Electric Delivery Van to our fleet!
- What advice you give to other local business owners who want to become more sustainable?: Start with a small initiative, but start somewhere! Talk to your community and other business owners to learn about their experiences
- Do you have any additional comments you'd like to share about running a local and sustainable business: Rather than waste any un-sold product, always find ways to give back to the community.
Wellness Spotlight
At Green Tomato, we love being an extension of other companies that support sustainability and wellness. We have partnered with yoga studios, pilates studios, gyms, healthy restaurants, and sustainable companies to bring you a comprehensive wellness experience.
Together, we are committed to helping you take care of your body, mind, and the planet.
Check out these amazing companies and the services they offer for you!
Your Food Should Rot, Otherwise, It's Not Real Food
We usually think that rotting is a bad thing because we can’t eat rotten food. Rotting things can also smell yucky. But sometimes rotting is a good thing!
Fresh food—the stuff of life that nourishes, builds, and heals and that, with its rich abundance of nutrients, should make up the bulk of a healthy diet—boasts a fundamental difference from its prepackaged and processed cousins: It is able to rot. And it’s this very ability that trumpets its healthfulness.
Support Food Rescue US - South Florida
Food Rescue US - South Florida is committed to ending hunger and reducing food waste by directly transferring fresh, usable food that would have otherwise been thrown away from grocers, restaurants, and other food industry sources to food insecure families throughout South Florida.
Your support allows Food Rescue South Florida expand its impact and provide for more food insecure individuals and families. Thank you for your donation
4 Ways to Keep Your Greens Fresher
- Protect the leaves from cold refrigerator air.
- Wrap the leaves in a moist towel and place the wrapped leaves inside a silicon bag. If you don't cover the leaves, the cold air will dry them out.
- Chop up the greens and place them in sealed containers like jars! So they're fresh and ready to add to your next meal.
- Place the stems in a cup of water like you would with flowers and then store the cup in the fridge or on your counter (this is time sensitive-use soon)
What to do if you think your produce might go bad? Chop it up and freeze it! You can use the produce for nutrient dense vegetable broth.
