Top : package inserts made from hemp and mycelium , the root structure of mushrooms ; bottom : an open house at A New Earth Project ’ s showroom in Laguna
rather than plastic price tags . The Laguna shop even utilizes gray water from the clothes washer — used to clean the staff ’ s aprons and towels that wipe up spills in the store — to water a little planter of flowers outside .
THE SUSTAINABILITY SHIFT Another approach to reducing the reliance on plastics can be found at A New Earth Project ’ s showroom , which opened last year on South Coast Highway and focuses on product and shipping packages .
The campaign was started by Wes Carter — president of Atlantic Packaging , one of North America ’ s largest privately held packaging companies — after noticing widespread plastic pollution while on surf trips around the world . Along the way , a coalition of outdoor enthusiasts , industry-leading brands and innovative packaging suppliers have joined him in this mission .
Laguna Beach resident and lifelong surfer Don Meek came on board as managing director of A New Earth Project with 40 years of experience in the media industry and plenty of ideas to take this effort to the next level . From a TV series called “ Journey to A New Earth ” on Amazon Prime to a film in production , one of the goals is to raise awareness .
Meanwhile , the showroom features creative sustainable packaging solutions , all made from renewable resources and fully curbside recyclable . “ The nice thing about being in Laguna [ is ] there are so many people who live here that are in decision-making positions with brands and sustainability ,” Meek says .
Many of the options trade plastic for corrugated cardboard — such as a system that protects surfboards for shipping without bubble wrap and foam — or crimped paper , which can be recycled or composted . A New Earth Project has also partnered with some innovative companies like Cruz Foam , a Santa Cruz business that ’ s turning shrimp shells into a Styrofoam alternative , and Ecovative , which is replacing molded plastic package inserts ( that might hold a surfboard fin , for example ) with those made of hemp and mycelium , the root structure of mushrooms . “ It ’ s got a shelf life of 30 years , but if you throw it in your garden it will compost in 90 days ,” Meek says of the hemp-mycelium inserts .
PLAYING MATCHMAKER A New Earth Project helps bring together these innovative products with companies that can use them . “ We ’ re working very closely now with Burton snowboards … to help them achieve their mission of getting all single-use plastic out of their consumer-facing packaging by the end of 2025 ,” Meek says .
The initiative also helped Williams Sonoma eliminate bubble wrap and air pillows from its e-commerce shipping . Locally , Catch Surf shop is a client as is Distant Local , a business run by former pro surfer Jeff Booth and his wife Melissa Martinez , who sell shirts , mugs and other items featuring artistic maps of beach towns around the country to celebrate the spirit of these surf communities . Nearby , San Clemente-based Album Surfboards and Stewart Surfboards both use shipping solutions from A New Earth Project .
Sooner or later , companies will need to move toward sustainable options , Meek asserts . He points to California Senate Bill 54 , which was passed last June and requires all packaging in the
state to be recyclable or compostable by 2032 . The legislation also shifts the burden away from consumers by raising $ 5 billion from plastic industry members over 10 years to assist with efforts to reduce plastic pollution .
“ And then , on the other side , … consumers , particularly younger consumers , are beginning to be much more aware of the problem of single-use plastic packaging ,” Meek says . “ And they ’ re voting with their pocketbooks . And they ’ re saying , ‘ I don ’ t think I want that .’ … So we have these two forces coming at these brands from two different sides — legislature and consumer demand — and we ’ re in a position to help those brands accelerate that transition .”
A New Earth Project is involved locally , too , as a sustainability partner of the Coast Film & Music Festival , which takes place in town from Nov . 8-12 this year . “ We are sponsoring a sustainability day on Nov . 9 ,” Meek says . “… We ’ re going to invite the community to come down and hear stories about what is happening out there in the world about sustainability , what people themselves can do to improve their sustainability journey and what they can do at home .”
So whether it ’ s companies swapping plastic packaging for recyclable and compostable options or consumers refilling their bath and home products instead of purchasing single-use plastic bottles , it all contributes to a more eco-friendly world .
“ I honestly think this is the most important thing in our lifetime to tackle ,” Pauley says of the environmental effort . “ Because if we don ’ t have a healthy planet and we don ’ t have healthy bodies , what do we have ?”
42 FALL WINTER 2023 / 24 | LATITUDE33MAGAZINE . COM