The term “green” is all the rage these days. Rightfully so, as more people wish to address the environmental impact of the things they spend money and time on. Everything we do has some sort of impact. But here’s the thing. The supplements of the future are more sustainable, more ethical, and even more healthy than those of the past. While a cure-all for joint pain and inflammation isn’t in the pipeline (sign us up once it is!), those of us with joint pain — whether that be triggered by arthritis or other inflammation-related pain — can at least rest easy knowing that that which soothes our joints is soothing to the planet, as well.

An increased focus on sustainability

The future of sustainability looks bright — at least from certain angles. Solar power is cheaper than ever — to the point where it’s actually more economically viable to power a building or home with solar power than with coal in much of the world. Wired reported that solar accounted for 9% of total power now, up from just 1% back in 2010. Windmills are more efficient than ever, meeting the rapid growth in demand.  The American Wind Energy Association reported an 8% increase in demand in 2018.

These days, customers are digging deeper than simply reading the labels on the products they buy. As a result, food, drink, and supplement brands that are mission-driven have gained popularity. Brands that build their products on sustainable practices, and rigidly document those practices for the consumer, are having far better luck building trust with their customers.

According to a study published in Nielson, a full 73% of today’s consumers would switch products or brands in order to buy a more sustainable product. In many cases, those consumers are willing to pay more for a product with lower environmental impact — though they don’t always have to. 

One key way you can tell if a product has a greater environmental impact than a competing option is to look at the number of ingredients. Not just what they are, but how many of them there are — fewer ingredients means less sourcing involved, which can mean less emissions produced, particularly if the product is entirely sourced and/or produced in one place.

Making our food systems more sustainable — a (brief) overview

Consumers are demanding the same progress from companies that produce the foods, supplements, and other edible products we eat as well. Brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are revolutionizing the hamburger (by getting rid of the meat!), aiming to reduce the amount of land necessary for agriculture production. It takes six pounds of feed to produce one pound of beef, for example — but meatless burgers can dramatically reduce that demand on our ecosystem. 

On the supplement front, New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels continue to serve as a model for sustainable production. Grown in their natural habitat off the eastern coast of New Zealand, the mussels used in supplements like GLX3 represent sustainable harvesting and growing practices at their finest. The coastal waters are free of the contaminants found in much of the world’s oceans due to the islands’ seclusion — GLX3 doesn’t contain the mercury levels of many ocean fish nor the microplastics that threaten sea life in the greater Pacific Ocean.

At GLX3, for example, we help you reduce joint pain and inflammation with only three ingredients — Green Lipped Mussel Oil, New Zealand Olive Oil, and Vitamin E Oil. Compare this with other supplements that are made from five, ten, or even more ingredients. Two of our ingredients come from the same place!

Sustainability is just how we do it around here

At GLX3. we’ve always been straightforward about how we produce our Green Lipped Mussel Oil supplement. We still use the same three ingredients — all-natural Green Lipped Mussel Oil, New Zealand Olive Oil, and Vitamin E oil, — and refuse to add fillers or further preservatives. This isn’t just because it would make our product less pure. It would also impact the relationship we have with our customers who have come to trust our honest approach to doing business.

We don’t condemn other products but we do have opinions about production — over-fishing is a major problem around the world, as oceans are depleted for the production of everything from food to supplemental oils. We’re proud to be part of the solution to that problem by building a supplement from a sustainably harvested mussel that grows only in its natural environment and isn’t pilfered at a dangerous rate.

We believe that we will be able to continue sourcing and providing the means to combat inflammation for many years to come.

After all, sustainability isn’t just about what happens before the product reaches your door — it involves the ongoing relationship as well. When you know you’re getting the best, you’re more likely to come back the next time around, helping to keep the well-sourced rhythm going full-circle.