Sustainability
A little peanut butter company making a Really Good impact
“Since Dad started making peanut butter in a concrete mixer in our family garage sixteen years ago, we’ve aspired to be a business for good. Good for our community and good for our planet. Not just on paper, but the kind of good that’s never quite finished. Credible. Consistent. A life’s work.”
- Louis, Pic’s son
Pic's Really Good Report
Hi. Pic here, again.
We’re dead set on doing the right thing for people and the planet. Scroll down and see. Pic’s Really Good Report tells you how a little peanut butter company at the bottom of the world is trying to make a big difference. It’s Really Good stuff (and it’d probably impress your high school English teacher too)!
Getting B CORP certified was a Big Deal with a capital B
We try to make everything we do as good as our peanut butter. So, we’re happy to share that we're B Corporation certified. We achieved an Overall B Impact Score of 104.7 with our initial audit in 2021. The median for a normal business is 50.9 and 80 is the qualifying mark for B Corp Certification. So it’s safe to say we did Really Good.
Our sustainability goals, and the United Nations’ too
Sustainability is a big job, but we’re up for it. To stay on track, we’re guided by 5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that matter most to us. Scroll down to see how they’re shaping everything we do at Pic’s Peanut Butter.
EKOS
Measure it to manage it. Since April 2020, we’ve partnered with Ekos to measure our carbon footprint and become an accredited Zero Carbon company. That means Pic’s Peanut Butter operations actively reduce carbon in the atmosphere.
Our biggest emitter? Outward freight. We’re addressing it by switching from road to sea freight and double-loading containers to reduce trips. We’ve also begun auditing suppliers to ensure they have carbon reduction plans.
In our first year, we set targets for energy, waste, water, and carbon. By Year two, we reduced overall emissions by 13% and emissions per full-time employee by 20%, despite growing our team by 8%.
We’re always exploring better transport options, reducing food miles through local sourcing, and pushing for change with freight suppliers.
In 2024, we had a big win recycling all the soft plastics from our supply chain through Enviro NZ. The solution? Turning them into fence posts made by a local company.
Businesses for Climate Action
We’re teaming up with local businesses to drive zero carbon and climate-positive initiatives.
In 2021, we hosted a climate action event at Pic’s Peanut Butter World with School Strike 4 Climate’s Sophie Hanford and B Corp-certified Chia Sisters. Attendees signed pledges to go zero carbon or climate positive, and we connected them with Ekos to kick-start their journey.
Mission Zero
Mission Zero, an initiative by Businesses for Climate Action, helps businesses create meaningful climate projects. In 2022, one of our team co-led the Climate Leaders Programme, guiding businesses through 10 months of practical climate action.
We’re doing our part by working on a Mission Zero project to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and encourage lower-impact packaging solutions. In 2024, we’re proud to continue being part of Mission Zero, maximising impact for the Te Tauihu Top of the South region.
The Pic's Peanut Butter team with Chia Sisters during a field trip, 2022.
Where things come from matters. From packaging to peanuts to a sprinkle of salt, it adds up. We source locally wherever possible and keep food miles low without compromising quality.
The kiwi peanut dream
Kiwi-grown, kiwi-made peanut butter. That’d be Really Good. Peanuts are naturally sustainable, enriching soil nitrogen and needing little water. But Aotearoa New Zealand’s cool climate makes growing them tricky.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with MPI’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures, Plant and Food Research, and Northland Inc. After four years of trials, we’re thrilled to have produced our first jars of NZ-grown peanut butter! Now, with additional support from the Foundation for Arable Research, we’re kicking off new trials.
If it all goes to plan, it could mean new jobs in Te Tai Tokerau Northland and fewer carbon miles. Fingers crossed!
Our peanuts, for now
While we figure out how to grow them here, our Hi Oleic peanuts are sourced from Australia, Brazil, and Argentina.
We’ve found growers who not only produce the best high quality peanuts but also treat their teams right. We started roasting Brazilian peanuts in 2020, and it’s been a fantastic partnership ever since.
A pinch of kiwi salt
Our sea salt comes from Dominion Salt’s sites in Lake Grassmere and Mount Maunganui. Simple as that.
We love Aussie almonds
They’re a superfood, and for good reason. Packed with Vitamin E, protein, fibre, and heart-healthy fats, they’re a go-to for dieticians and nutritionists. A handful a day? Brilliant for your heart. Ours are grown in Australia on 9,262 hectares of top-notch orchards across Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales.
Going beyond the pail
Most of our packaging is recyclable. Smaller jars are glass, our bigger jars use PET plastic, and our squeezy and super-size pails are made from fully recyclable PP plastic. Some bits, like plastic tamper seals, foil on our Peanut Butter Slugs, and adhesive-backed kraft labels, aren’t recyclable just yet but we are working on it.
In Whakatū Nelson, our returnable 1kg glass Perfit jars are available at Peanut Butter World, the Whakatū Nelson Market, and select stores around the region. Once you’ve polished off the good stuff, give the jar a wash and bring it back for a discount on your next one.
Recycling isn’t the only option though. Pic added a star to the lids to encourage reusing. Our jars make handy storage containers, and the pails? Great for compost. Returned jars are shared with community groups for art, fundraising, or preserves, and we connect Pic’s fans with jar-seekers through Neighbourly and Freecycle.
Behind the scenes, most of our packing (cardboard and pallets) is recycled or reused. Peanut sacks go to a local gardening company, and soft plastic bags are reused in the factory or picked up by Enviro NZ to be remade into fence posts! Plastic pallet wrap is recycled, but we’re also on the hunt for better alternatives. Let us know if you have one.
Pic has a saying, No weird stuff. That’s why we use only the best Hi Oleic peanuts. They’re naturally nutrient-rich and packed with more than 30 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, copper, and folate. Our peanut butter boasts 26% protein and 25% more good fats than the standard stuff
And it’s not just peanuts. Our almonds are a top source of vitamin E, protein, fibre, and monounsaturated fats. With 30g of nuts recommended daily by dieticians, almonds are a top crop for heart health.
We’re one of the few peanut butter companies around the world that actually roasts our own peanuts. That takes serious power, so we’re proud to support 100% renewable energy generation.
In April 2022, we installed 486 solar panels on the roof of Peanut Butter World, making us the world’s first solar-powered peanut roastery. On a sunny day in Whakatū Nelson, we can roast 3.3 million peanuts using pure solar energy.
And when the sun’s not shining? We team up with Meridian to buy renewable energy certificates. These certify that all electricity we use from the grid is matched with 100% renewable energy from Meridian’s Benmore Hydro Station. So, our Scope 2 electricity emissions are effectively zero.
WE GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE YOU LOT ARE WHY WE’RE HERE
In a nutshell, Pic’s Peanut Butter has always backed Really Good people doing Really Good things. In 2021, we launched a new label, A Really Good Peanut Butter For A Really Good Cause, to fundraise for Big Brothers Big Sisters and share their amazing mahi for Kiwi kids.
And, in 2023, we shut the factory for a day and headed out together to plant native trees at Marahau, where Pic is working to restore wetlands.
Each week, a Pic’s Peanut Butter Maker picks a cause to support—sometimes two. If we’re not spread too thin, we’re in, whether it’s goody bags, lunch shouts, raffles, or just helping spread the word.
In 2024, we donated over $20,000 and 8,470 jars of peanut butter. From schools feeding tamariki to clubs and big organisations, we’re here to give for good.
AND WE LOOK AFTER OUR CREW TOO
We give our people the chance to do great work and be happy doing it. We pay a living wage once staff are trained and up to speed, and offer plenty of perks to keep everyone feeling good: annual health checks, flu vaccines, gym discounts, physio and eye test deals, and free counselling through the EAP programme. Oh, and free Pic’s Peanut Butter – obviously.
