Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity has consumed all the resources the planet can regenerate in a year. The earlier this day falls, the more we are depleting future resources to meet our current consumption. For 2024, Earth Overshoot Day is August 1st, indicating that we will borrow 153 days' worth of resources from future generations to sustain our needs for the remainder of the year.
In just over 50 years, our consumption has increased so drastically that we now require the equivalent of 1.75 Earths to satisfy our annual demands. We see the effects of over consumption almost everyday somewhere in the world through climate change induced forest fires, drought or floods. Biodiversity decline contributes to instability in the ecosystems we rely on to support the production of food and building materials, and sources of pharmaceuticals.
At Jiffy, we are dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of our business activities and products. Here’s how:
Decarbonizing Energy Use
Reducing the global electricity system’s carbon footprint by 50% could shift Earth Overshoot Day back by up to 22 days. Jiffy has significantly increased our use of renewable electricity in production, jumping from 6% to 63% over the past three years. This year, we are expanding our solar panel installations in Sri Lanka.
Recycling Raw Materials
Using recycled raw materials directly decreases the demand for virgin resources and brings value to waste materials, encouraging investment in waste collection and processing. Jiffy is committed to converting plastic packaging to 50% post-consumer recycled content and ensuring all our plastic packaging is recyclable. Additionally, we are working with suppliers and customers to explore alternatives to single-use packaging
Sustainable Peat Harvesting
We collaborate with Veriflora and Responsibly Produced Peat (RPP) to minimize the environmental impact of our peat harvesting activities. Our efforts focus on sustainable development, proper management practices, and restoration after use to reduce both on-site and off-site environmental impacts.
Innovative Coir Production
Manufacturing coir products, made from waste coconut fibers, often involve high water consumption in regions with limited water resources. Jiffy’s innovative production methods at our factories in Sri Lanka have significantly reduced our water usage in coir production.
Our goal to increase the use of sustainable and renewable raw materials to 50% is a significant step towards reducing our environmental impact.
Visit Jiffy’s Sustainability website to learn more about our sustainability efforts, or Overshoot Day to discover how you can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Let’s work together
Jiffy is a leading global supplier of premium growing media and solution thinking. We aim to serve you, our customers in plant propagation and cultivation, to achieve better results with fewer worries. We do this by continually improving, innovating, and working toward our common goals, based on scientific research, teamwork, and decades of experience. Let’s develop sustainable plant growing solutions together: Let’s start today!