Is KoRo actually sustainable?
Why does KoRo use plastic packaging?
What is KoRo doing for a better world?
Why isn't everything organic at KoRo?
We asked you what interests you most about sustainability at KoRo and our sustainability team has the answers for you here. The most frequently asked question was: Is KoRo actually sustainable? We want to answer this right away. Alongside passion, transparency, curiosity and integrity, sustainability is one of our five guiding values. It therefore plays a major role in all our decisions. We are aware of our responsibility as a company in the food sector, as food accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, sustainability has many facets. At KoRo, for example, with 98% vegetarian and 92% of vegan products, and an organic share of 54% (as of April 2026)1, we want to promote an easy integration of potentially more environmentally friendly products when shopping online!
Nevertheless, we want to be completely transparent here: despite our efforts, we are not yet where we want to be at some points and there are other challenges along the way – some of which we discuss in more detail on this page. In some respects, KoRo may never fulfil some people's understanding of sustainability. We therefore do not want to call ourselves 100% sustainable or actively advertise ourselves with the buzzword ‘sustainability’. However, we want to continue to work on integrating more economic, ecological and social sustainability at KoRo and communicate transparently in this way. We take criticism and suggestions very seriously and engage in dialogue, as this is the only way we can continue to develop and integrate as many facets of sustainability as possible.
At KoRo we want to...
Communicate transparently
We always want to provide you with transparent information about the company, our products, prices and packaging, thus promoting communication on an equal footing. It is important to us to provide realistic insights into the everyday life and decisions of a food company, and also to show with you the challenges we face. Find out more here.
Reduce our packaging waste
Our bulk packs are part of who we are. Not only do they make shopping easier and keep you happy for longer, but they also significantly reduce packaging waste compared to standard retail pack sizes – by an average of 38%2 per 1 kg of product.
Provide alternatives
We want to provide high-quality food at a fair price for your everyday life. We make sure that our products remain as natural as possible, contribute to a balanced, predominantly plant-based diet or that our snacks are a healthier and potentially more sustainable alternative.
Our key initiatives for more sustainability
First of all, it’s important to note that many of KoRo’s sustainability initiatives are long-term projects and therefore still a “work in progress”. Here, we’ve chosen to highlight only those initiatives whose positive impact we can already demonstrate. Nevertheless, many more are in the pipeline; you can find out more about these below under “Current Projects”.
Our range
In general, KoRo promotes the easy integration of potentially more environmentally friendly products into shopping decisions through a range that is 98% vegetarian and 92% vegan, with 54% of products being organic (as of April 2026)1. We also carry out risk analyses for selected raw materials used in our products and their countries of origin. Based on the results of this analysis, we have developed sustainable sourcing targets, through which we aim to systematically mitigate risks; for example, this means that we intend to source certain raw materials only if they carry a specific certification. In addition, we have a code of conduct for business partners, which is aimed at suppliers and partners in general. In it, we define our standards and expectations regarding the environment, business ethics and social issues.
Our office
Our shipping packaging
(boxes, filling material and parcel tape)
are already entirely paper-based. Most of the cardboard boxes and filling material are made from recycled fibres and can in turn be recycled.
With our large packs
we save packaging waste – on average 38%2 per 1kg of product compared to conventional packaging.
Our sale category
helps us save food that is about to expire or does not meet the visual norm from being thrown away. When this happends, we offer it to you in our sale category at a reduced price. Since 2023 we have also been donating to food sharing.
Our transparent communication
is arguably one of the most important initiatives alongside our sustainability team, which focuses exclusively on environmental, ethical and social issues. We would like to share this team’s progress, challenges and results with you, to give you a deeper insight into the topic of sustainability. That is why we have set ourselves the goal, for example, of regularly publishing an impact report, which provides insights into environmental, corporate ethics and social issues at KoRo. You can find the latest report here.
Making product journey and climate impact visible
We’ve added a “Product Journey & Impact” tab to more than 160 of our items so far (for example: white almond butter 500 g). This includes calculated greenhouse gas emissions generated during production, packaging and transportation of our products. For some items – such as our freeze-dried strawberry slices – you’ll also find additional details on origin and supply chain. We share this information with you so you can make informed purchasing decisions and keep an eye on your individual carbon footprint. At the same time, we use these insights ourselves to optimise our supply chains and ideally reduce our own CO₂ emissions in the future.
Current projects: What's on the agenda for 2026
We know that sustainability doesn't happen overnight – it requires long-term thinking and consistent action. That's why we set ourselves new goals every year that bring us closer to our aspirations, step by step. 2026 will be another year full of projects designed to bring about concrete change:
- Introduction of new single-material doypacks with improved recyclability. You can find a blog post on the opportunities and challenges of this transition here
- Establishing a shorter supply chain for our cocoa powder and cocoa nibs by sourcing directly from producers at source. You can find a blog article about our visit to our partners in Peru here
- Implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)3, including improved traceability of our affected products
- Updating the supply chain for our freeze-dried strawberry slices through partial direct sourcing from producers and initial on-site visits in China
- Finalisation and publication of our first sustainability report in accordance with established reporting standards and with voluntary verification in line with the European VSME standard4
- Development of a science-based climate target in accordance with the criteria of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) (will continue until 2027)
- Gradual transition to (Fairtrade) certified cocoa (to be completed by 2027)
- Implementation of the new B Lab requirements in preparation for B Corp recertification in 2027
Q&A: Sustainability at KoRo
Suppliers and producers:
Packaging:
Products:
Other questions:
Sources
1. These percentages refer to the proportion of vegetarian, vegan or certified organic products out of the total number of food products. Our so-called “non-food” products, such as storage jars or vouchers, are not included in this calculation.
2. As of 2026, calculation based on a sample of products from various categories – nuts, breakfast items, dried fruit, proteins, meat alternatives, pulses, spices, rice/pasta, snacks, baking ingredients and drinks – compared with three products from the retail sector in each category.
3. An EU regulation that obliges companies to ensure that certain products (including soya, cocoa and coffee) do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation.
4. The VSME-Standards have been specifically developed for small and medium-sized enterprises and offer them a voluntary, practical framework for systematically and comprehensively addressing and reporting on all key sustainability issues.
5. https://www.oekolandbau.de/bio-zertifizierung/bio-kontrolle/
6. https://www.fairtrade.net/de-de/Was-ist-Fairtrade/der-fairtrade-ansatz/Fairtrade-Siegel.html
