For the past 50 years, one of the leading plant-based producers, Follow Your Heart, has been creating delicious vegan alternatives for our household staples.
Known best for their eggless mayo Vegenaise and other dairy-free goods like cheeses and yogurts, Follow Your Heart’s animal-free alternatives make swapping the dairy counterparts easy and delicious!
Today, we’re happy to highlight and celebrate Follow Your Heart’s sustainability practices with each of their products. Through their Los Angeles based zero-waste manufacturing facility, Earth Island, which is covered with over 2,000 solar panels, Follow Your Heart is able to generate 1.73 million kw in an 18-month period. In comparison, meat and dairy produce 56-58% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions which negatively impact our environment.
Follow Your Heart’s award-winning Earth Island has been distinguished as Platinum status, the highest possible status, under the TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) certification system. Administered by Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI), TRUE helps facilities define, pursue and achieve zero waste goals while becoming more resource-efficient. TRUE Zero Waste certification is a signal that Follow Your Heart is a leader in minimizing waste output, becoming more resource-efficient and environmentally responsible. The company diverts 98% of its waste from landfills and has generated over 200 tons of recycled materials, over 230 tons of composted materials, and over 305 tons of reused materials. Follow Your Heart’s total energy conservation is equivalent to 106 households’ annual energy consumption, 2,099 barrels of oil, or 98,180 gallons of gasoline.
We got a chance to interview Follow Your Heart’s VP of Product & Marketing, Katie Franklin for a deeper dive into the company’s Earth-friendly practices.
Q: Tell us about how Follow Your Heart is celebrating 50 years of innovation this year.
A: “Follow Your Heart is celebrating 50 years of success in many ways this year. The first is with the launch of our new Avocado Oil Vegenaise. We are really excited to introduce this product to the market, especially given the passionate demand from our fans. We also plan to launch a handful of new products later in the year and will be debuting our new cookbook, The Vegenaise Cookbook, featuring more than 80 carefully curated and tested Vegenaise-based recipes for nostalgic comfort food inspired by the offerings at Follow Your Heart Market & Café.”
Q: What sparked the newest product from your Vegenaise® family, Follow Your Heart’s new Avocado Oil Vegenaise?
A: “We get requests daily from fans for different variations of Vegenaise and this one was high on the list. In our opinion, avocados are always a good idea and with the rising trend in avocado-based products, it was a natural line extension to combine two of our consumers’ favorite things – Vegenaise and avocado oil!”
Q: Please share why Follow Your Heart prioritizes sustainable and eco-conscious business practices and how the company implements them through your products
A: “Not only has Follow Your Heart been at the forefront of the plant-based industry to help better the environment, we also prioritize sustainable and eco-conscious business practices. Our products are produced in a solar-powered, zero-waste facility, called Earth Island, located in Chatsworth, CA. In 2019, we were awarded Platinum Level by Green Business Certification Inc., the highest level of achievement for our zero waste efforts earned by diverting over 98% of waste from landfills through recycling, composting, reduction, or reuse. With a heightened global focus on sustainability, eating a more plant-based diet allows consumers to support this overall mission and contribute to bettering the world, one step at a time.”
Q: As a pioneer in the plant-based community, what do you wish to continue to do moving forward for those both in and outside of, the community?
A: “Our goal is to continue making the best tasting plant-based foods. We are finding that the acceptance and adoption of plant-based foods are expanding both domestically and internationally and includes growth in dedicated vegan locations as well as more plant-based meals on mainstream menus around the globe.”
Q: From the 7-seat shop to the family-known name Follow Your Heart is now, what would you say is the best part about having an impact on people’s health and the environment?
A: “From the very beginning, Follow Your Heart has been committed to producing delicious plant-based foods in a sustainable way. The best part is knowing that we’ve been impactful. This year especially, we celebrate that Follow Your Heart has been a consistent leader in the space for 50 years and continues to grow and expand our offerings. Seeing real results in sustainability, like earning Platinum Status by the Green Business Certification for our zero waste efforts, is one of the best parts.”
For more information on Follow Your Heart and their products, visit their website at https://followyourheart.com/.
