Gnarly Supplements

Gnarly’s steel tins are easily transportable / Source: Gnarly Nutrition

AluminiumFood & BeverageNorth AmericaPackagingSteel

5 MINUTE READ

Kaltrina Bylykbashi

WHAT WE SAY:

With refreshing transparency, Gnarly Nutrition is taking a step towards circularity by switching its plastic tubs to steel cans.

Steel is proven to have one of the highest recycling rates of any material out there and while scepticism about its production remains - and indeed it needs to be improved upon - it is difficult to argue against an infinitely recyclable material, which does not blight the environment with microplastics. Gnarly calls this “a step in the right direction” and we wholeheartedly agree.

KEY FACTS:

Gnarly Nutrition made the switch from plastic tubs to tin coated Steel cans for its supplements in December 2021.
The company says its decision came down to consumer demand, “after listening to the feedback from our customers and through months of meticulous research, we landed on steel cans as the next step in our path to progress when it comes to recycling.”
The brand estimates the new packaging will prevent over 20,000 pounds of plastic from going to landfill.
To manage the packaging update financially, Gnarly Nutrition raised its price between USD 1-1.50 per product.
Like Aluminium, steel can be infinitely recycled without any loss in quality. Unlike aluminium, steel is magnetic, therefore magnetic recovery can be used to extract steel from non-sorted domestic waste, avoiding waste to landfill and loss of reusable resources to energy-from-waste plants.
The steel cans are currently used across its Gnarly BCAAs, Gnarly Collagen Pro, Gnarly Pre-Workout, Gnarly Vegan, and Gnarly Whey products. The company offers educational tools on how the cans can be reused and recycled via its website.
Gnarly Nutrition says the switch to steel is one of a list of upcoming moves that will shift the brand closer to true circularity.

A serving of the Vegan Plant Protein supplement in Chocolate / Source: Gnarly Nutrition

A steel tin of Gnarly’s Pre-Workout Dietary Supplement in Strawberry Lemonade / Source: Gnarly Nutrition

DIVE DEEPER:

Less than 9% of plastic waste was recycled in the US, according to the most recent figures from the EPA. This resulted in 27 million tons of plastic heading to landfill in 2018.
Even if recycling efficiency were higher, plastic can only be recycled two to three times before the polymer chain becomes too short and the quality of the material is too low for further recycling.
Awareness of the high levels of waste, combined with consumer pressure, pushed Gnarly to explore alternative options for its tubbed products, which were previously made from HDPE.
The US-based company explored recycled plastic and compostable and biodegradable bags, but steel stood out as ticking all the boxes for durability, product safety, and recyclability.
Steel packaging has a recycling rate of 70% in the US, while the overall scrap steel recycling rate has averaged between 80-90% over the past decade. Steel cans represent approximately 3%, or 1,126,674 tons, of recyclable material generated by single family households.
59% of US households currently have access to kerbside recycling services, while a further 21% have access to drop-off services. Of those with access to kerbside services, 72% participate. More robust infrastructure and education is necessary to support brands in their efforts to promote recyclable metals as a plastic-free packaging solution.
All of Gnarly’s steel is sourced in the US, reducing the environmental impact of shipping. Today, producing a ton of steel in North America requires less than half the energy that was needed to produce a ton of steel 40 years ago, saving the GHG emissions equivalent to driving a car for 2,000 miles. Up to 65% of recycled steel is used to make new steel, further reducing impact.
The reduction of raw steel production further shrinks the impact of the material. Raw steel production in the US fell consecutively for three years from 2018 to 2020. Worldwide, recycling scrap steel rather than producing new can avoid the extraction of 850 million metric tons of iron ore and the use of 370 million metric tons of coal each year.
Gnarly’s steel products are generally suitable for kerbside recycling, however the brand recommends its customers check local programmes.
Partnering with the Plastic Impact Alliance and Sustainable Packaging Movement, the company plans to remove plastic completely by 2025.

"We are the only supplement brand that we know of that is using steel in this way. We're by no means thinking that we are the only ones that are going to do this. We hope to inspire others as well, because it is an industry-wide issue."

Liz Esche - Marketing Director, Gnarly - as quoted in Muse by Clio

Key Design Considerations:

Embracing reusability with refills

Because recyclability is a central driver of the switch to steel, its inherent durability can be overlooked. The average expected lifespan of a metal product is 11 years, so capitalising on its longevity with a refill scheme, as Gnarly hopes to, would be a savvy move.

The price issue

Gnarly’s consumers were calling for the change and were therefore happy to pay a slightly higher price for a better material. But to keep prices from spiralling, Gnarly also had to order “more than it had ever bought at one time.” Do you have the reach to take advantage of economies of scale? Could refills cut your manufacturing costs, as well as upping your sustainability credentials?

Retaining or improving functionality

Gnarly’s tin closures echo that of a paint can, with the lid needing to be pried off. This could pose a usage barrier for those with limited grip strength or mobility. Can you work with your manufacturers on UDP-based functionality? Or could you design an opening tool, which doubles as a reusable scoop - making access easier, standardising servings and removing another source of plastic?

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Gnarly Supplements

WHAT WE SAY:

With refreshing transparency, Gnarly Nutrition is taking a step towards circularity by switching its plastic tubs to steel cans.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Less than 9% of plastic waste was recycled in the US, according to the most recent figures from the EPA. This resulted in 27 million tons of plastic heading to landfill in 2018.

Even if recycling efficiency were higher, plastic can only be recycled two to three times before the polymer chain becomes too short and the quality of the material is too low for further recycling.

Awareness of the high levels of waste, combined with consumer pressure, pushed Gnarly to explore alternative options for its tubbed products, which were previously made from HDPE.

The US-based company explored recycled plastic and compostable and biodegradable bags, but steel stood out as ticking all the boxes for durability, product safety, and recyclability.

Steel packaging has a recycling rate of 70% in the US, while the overall scrap steel recycling rate has averaged between 80-90% over the past decade. Steel cans represent approximately 3%, or 1,126,674 tons, of recyclable material generated by single family households.

Gnarly’s steel products are generally suitable for kerbside recycling, however the brand recommends its customers check local programmes.

Partnering with the Plastic Impact Alliance and Sustainable Packaging Movement, the company plans to remove plastic completely by 2025.