Upcycling at Earth Wake.

Turning Imperfect Fruits into Delicious Snacks.

At Earth Wake, we’re not just passionate about healthy, regenerative dried fruit—we’re on a mission to reduce food waste. Through our upcycling efforts, we give fruits that didn’t meet the “perfect” standards for fresh markets a second life, turning them into delicious, nutritious snacks that you can feel good about.

What is Upcycling?

Upcycling is the process of taking items that might otherwise go to waste and turning them into something new, valuable, and useful. At Earth Wake, upcycling means sourcing fruits that might have been overlooked—fruits that may be slightly overripe, misshapen, or not quite the right color—and transforming them into tasty, high-quality dried snacks. Rather than letting these fruits end up in landfills or as livestock feed, we turn them into something people can enjoy, reducing waste along the way.

Why Upcycle?

Food waste is a huge problem, and tackling it is something we all need to be involved in. Upcycling helps us keep fruits from the landfill, conserves resources, and reduces the overall environmental impact of food production. The reality is that millions of tons of perfectly edible food are thrown away each year because they don't meet the strict cosmetic standards set by fresh markets. By upcycling these fruits, we’re not only preventing unnecessary waste but also creating products that are both good for the planet and good for you.

Here’s the deal: When these “imperfect” fruits aren’t used to create a higher culinary creation (like dried fruit snacks), they often end up as animal feed or, even worse, get thrown away. By buying surplus or “imperfect” fruits and transforming them into delicious dried snacks, we are directly reducing food waste—and we’re not alone in this effort. Many companies are now repurposing surplus produce into everything from juices and jams to sauces and even baby food. The next time you pick up a fruit-based product, you’ll know the odds are high that it was made from fruit that didn’t quite conform to the fresh market standards.

What Does the Upcycled Certification Mean?

The Upcycled Certification is a seal that tells you the product you’re holding was made with ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste.  When we started drying fruit in the 1980s, the “sort-outs” we were buying would have gone to the dump if not for us. But, as the upcycled movement came along, more and more companies started recognizing the value and seeing the potential of imperfect fruit.

There are so many wonderful fruit products on the shelves made from repurposing the fruit that didn’t make the fresh market cut. This is great because the food industry is working together to reduce food waste; but as we create demand and a real market for imperfect foods, it begs the question…is it still upcycled? On years where farmers are blessed with a heavy harvest there may be too much fruit even for all of us upcyclers to repurpose; but on years with lighter crops, there may not be enough to go around. What once was going to the landfill becomes a prized possession. If we all want it, does it lose its upcycled title? 

No matter your answer; there is always more we can do. While we’re already saving a significant amount of fruit, we’re always on the lookout for new ways to upcycle. If we ever find a way to turn banana peels (currently used for fertilizer) into a snack, you can bet we’d be all over that. At Earth Wake, we’re committed to innovating, upcycling, and finding new ways to reduce food waste, all while providing you with high-quality, regenerative snacks.

Join Us in Making a Difference.

By choosing Earth Wake’s upcycled dried fruit snacks, you’re not just enjoying a delicious treat—you’re also helping to reduce food waste and support regenerative agriculture practices. It’s a win for the planet, a win for your health, and a win for the future.

Let’s work together to make food waste a thing of the past and give imperfect fruit the second life it deserves. Every bite counts, and together, we can create a more sustainable future.

Thank you for choosing Earth Wake, where every snack helps us upcycle for a better world!

And remember, we’re all in this journey together and as we know better, we will do better.