Big flavor, low impact
Why we carbon label.
Our food
choices matter
26% of global carbon emissions are created by the food system, fueled largely by our everyday choices. Fortunately, earth-friendly eating doesn’t mean giving up great food - we promise. Wondering how? Let us explain.
We believe that the next step in fighting the climate crisis is transparency and traceability. That’s why we’re giving you the information you need to make lower impact food choices.
On our menus (including orderjustsalad.com, our Earth-Friendly store menu board, and our mobile app), you’ll see a “carbon label,” expressed as kg CO2e. This stands for “kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent,” a unit used to show emissions of many types of greenhouse gases (GHGs), not just carbon dioxide.
Our carbon labels show the full life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of your meal, from the moment it’s produced to the moment it's ultimately discarded – known as a "cradle-to-grave" assessment.
Place a climate
smart order
Our carbon labels can be used to compare the carbon footprints of items within our menu. (Because calculation methods may vary, it’s best to avoid comparing carbon labels for products from different companies.) The lower the number, the less your meal contributes to climate change.
In stores, you can order from our “Earth-Friendly” menuboard and choose from a selection of low-carbon, plant-based salads.
On the mobile app, we’ve made it even easier for you to choose low impact by tagging items as “Earth-Friendly” on the main menu page.
Offset your order with carbon credits
In the Just Salad app, you can offset the carbon footprint of your order at checkout. Look for the Go Carbon Neutral option, and we’ll automatically add a verified carbon credit to your order.
The amount of carbon credit added at checkout is dynamic, meaning it changes based on the carbon labels of the items in the cart. For example, if you choose from our lower footprint Climatarian menu, less credit is needed to offset, and the cost is lower.
A carbon credit represents greenhouse gas emissions that have been reduced by projects that pull existing emissions from the atmosphere (removal) or prevent them from happening in the first place (avoidance). All carbon projects supported by Just Salad are third-party verified according to rigorous standards.
Through our partner Patch, we source verified offsets that support nature-based projects like Bluesource’s Klawock Heenya Improved Forest Management Project.
Bringing fresh ideas to the table
Apart from helping you make climate-smart food choices, our carbon labels help us make culinary and sustainability improvements together.
Like helping us avoid ingredients that increase the footprint of a menu item. While certain ingredients have more energy-intensive growing and production methods, in general, fruits and vegetables tend to be lower emitters, while animal products are higher.
We've taken action to eliminate beef from our menu and offer plant-based protein options like Beyond Chicken® (Plant-Based) and Violife® Creamy Vegan Feta cheese alternative. We also source products from suppliers that improve soil health and sequester carbon through regenerative farming practices, like SIMPLi's Regenerative Organic Certified® Quinoa and Chickpeas.
Third-party verified
by Planet FWD
Our carbon labels are verified by Planet FWD, a leading carbon management platform. (For you sustainability geeks out there, our carbon labels are compliant with accounting methodologies as laid out in GHG Protocol and ISO 14040/4.)
To calculate our carbon labels, Planet FWD traces the cradle-to-grave emissions of every last ingredient within a menu item AND the packaging it’s served in. These calculations also look at factors specific to our business operations, like the amount of uneaten food that our customers compost or throw away; the miles that our delivery drivers drive; and the impact of using a Just Salad Reusable Bowl versus a disposable one.
Visit Planet FWD's website to learn more about Planet FWD’s approach to calculating the carbon footprint of our food.
In the
news
We’re on a mission to make everyday health and everyday sustainability possible––and that means bringing carbon labels and climate-conscious dining to the mainstream. Read more on our carbon labeling efforts here →
Just Salad to become first U.S. restaurant to label menu items with carbon footprint
Carbon labels are finally coming to the food and beverage industry
Brands are starting to add carbon labels to their packaging
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NOTE: Just Salad became one of the first US chain restaurants to show the estimated carbon footprint of every item on our menu in 2020. Our original carbon labels were calculated in partnership with a team at the NYU Stern School of Business based on cradle-to-gate assessments (see previous methodology here). In March 2022, we updated all carbon labels to reflect cradle-to-grave estimates verified by Planet FWD.