Integrating sustainability into gummy supplement manufacturing is good for the planet and your customers. At KorNutra, we believe focusing on sourcing, production, and packaging can make a real difference.
Sustainable Sourcing of Ingredients
Everything starts with your raw materials. Ethical, sustainable sourcing is fundamental.
- Partner with Certified Suppliers: Work with suppliers who have verifiable certifications like non-GMO, organic, or Fair Trade. For an organic claim on the finished gummy, USDA rules require at least 95 percent certified organic content plus facility certification.
- Prioritize Renewable Resources: Choose renewable ingredients when you can. Pectin, for example, comes from citrus peels and apple pomace, byproducts of juice processing, and replaces animal-derived gelatin.
- Support Biodiversity: Look for ingredients grown under farming practices that build soil health and biodiversity.
Eco-Conscious Manufacturing Processes
Optimizing your production line can cut waste and energy use.
- Energy Efficiency: Invest in energy-efficient machinery and use renewable energy sources like solar or wind for your facilities.
- Water Stewardship: Set up water recycling and reduction systems in cleaning and production to minimize usage.
- Waste Reduction: Use precise dosing and mixing technologies to minimize raw material waste. Establish programs to repurpose or compost organic byproducts.
Responsible Packaging Solutions
Packaging is the most visible part of your sustainability push and a great place to innovate.
- Use Recycled Materials: Choose bottles, jars, and outer cartons made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. For bottles that touch the gummies directly, use food-contact grade PCR resin; FDA reviews each recycling process before allowing food-contact use.
- Design for Recyclability: Go with mono-material packaging that is commonly recycled, and clearly label it with recycling instructions. Mono-material structures recycle more easily, but a single polymer rarely matches the moisture and oxygen barrier of a multilayer laminate, and gummies are moisture-sensitive.
- Reduce Material Use: Explore lightweighting, using just enough material to protect the product, and cut any extra secondary packaging.
Building a Sustainable Culture
Making this stick takes commitment from every level of your operation.
- Set Measurable Goals: Set clear, measurable goals for reducing carbon footprint, waste, and water usage. Report progress transparently.
- Choose Like-Minded Partners: Work with co-manufacturers and logistics providers who share your values. That way your whole supply chain pulls in the same direction.
EPR and Recyclability Rules in the US and EU
Packaging sustainability is now a set of legal requirements for supplement brands selling into the EU and several US states. The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation entered into force on February 11, 2025, and its first requirements apply from August 12, 2026, with a 2030 target for all packaging to be recyclable. Seven US states have passed packaging extended producer responsibility laws: Maine, Oregon, Colorado, California, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington. Oregon has invoiced producer fees since July 2025 and Colorado since January 2026. California's SB 343 restricts the chasing arrows symbol on packaging that fails state recyclability criteria, with enforcement set for October 4, 2026. Your packaging choices now affect fees, reporting, and market access, and a manufacturer that tracks materials across your SKUs makes compliance simpler.
Address these areas, and you can produce high-quality gummies while protecting the planet.