Upcycled Brands You Can Buy at Target
By Chris Vespoli
If you shop at Target, you’re definitely not alone. Eighty percent of shoppers in the U.S. frequent the big-box store with the ubiquitous bull’s eye logo. In addition to the items you’re used to seeing in store and online, you can also find Upcycled Certified™ products that help combat food waste. And it’s not just food products they sell — you can snag pet treats and cosmetics made with upcycled ingredients too! Here’s a quick look at some grocery and beauty aisle finds that will satisfy both your needs and Mother Earth’s.
Outcast
Outcast,a Canadian sustainable food tech company,“rescues” fruits and vegetables that otherwise would’ve gone to landfill and processes them into nutritious powders. For example, taking blueberries that aren’t pretty enough for the produce aisle and turning them into blueberry powder.
Target.com carries a selection of Outcast’s upcycled plant-based protein powders that are packed with probiotics and digestive enzymes. They come in a variety of flavors, from Vanilla and Chocolate Smoothie to Lemon Meringue Pie. Outcast also offers a Pineapple Coconut-Flavored Super Greens Mix that contains six servings of fruits and vegetables.
The powders mix easily into your post-workout drink of choice, from plain water to coffee and smoothies. They’re vegan, non-dairy, and gluten-free with no added sugar — perfect for meeting so many dietary needs.
Besides using upcycled ingredients and helping to stop food waste, Outcast protein powders use 400% less water than traditional whey protein products. That means you can beef up your muscles and your sustainability street cred. What’s not to love?
Barnana
Barnana’s story begins when founder Caue Suplicy, discovered his love for dried banana chips as a kid growing up in Brazil. Fast-forward and Barnana is a successful farm-to-shelf company that has upcycled millions of bananas into delicious snack foods.
You can find Barnana’s Organic Plantain Chips at Target in three different non-GMO flavors. Himalayan Pink Salt puts an exotic spin on the tired old banana chip with “pink salt from ancient ocean deposits inside the Himalayan mountains” (as the intriguing product description on Barnana’s website puts it). There’s also a paleo-friendly Acapulco Lime flavor as well a Spicy Mango that marries hot and sweet. All three varieties are kettle cooked and made with 100% coconut oil.
If you’re looking for something a little more on the decadent side, Barnana’s got you covered with their Organic Peanut Butter Banana Bites. Nicknamed “The Elvis,” these gluten-free, non-GMO peanut-butter-dipped banana balls are an indulgence fit for the king.
Shameless Pets
Launched in 2018, this pet product company with a propensity for puns makes dog and cat treats from misfit and surplus produce — like blueberries, beets, and carrots. According to Shameless Pets, they’ve saved over a million pounds of food so far!
You can find a bevy of made-in-America Shameless Pets snacks for your fur babies at Target. If you’ve got a pooch at home, pick up some soft-baked dog biscuits. Free from grain, corn, and soy, these treats come in so many fun-named flavors — like Blueberried Treasure with mint for fresh breath and Applenoon Delight with turmeric, which may help with joint inflammation.
Shameless also makes Dental Sticks with ridges that help clean your pup’s teeth. Try Banana Bone-nanza with healthy hip and bone support or Carrate Chomp with skin and coat benefits.
But what about our feline friends? Don’t fret, Shameless Pets makes goodies for cats too. Choose from two available Crunchy Cat Treats at Target: Yam Good Salmon and More Lobster, Cheese. Both help support your cat’s skin and coat and are made with real fish and yummy upcycled sweet potatoes.
Disney Table Scraps
Animal lovers understand that you can never spoil your pets too much. That’s why we’re including another batch of upcycled goodies in this Target shopping guide. Produced by Phelps Pet Products, Disney Table Scraps dog treats feature familiar faces on the packaging, from Winnie the Pooh to Simba and Pluto.
Play it safe with tried-and-true favorites like Organic Honey Roasted Turkey and Organic Chicken Tender recipes. Or, expand your pooch’s palate with steak-and-lobster-flavored Vegan Surf-N-Turf, Sweet Hawaiian Bacon, or Smoked Salmon made with Marine Stewardship Council Certified sustainable salmon.
Disney Table Scraps treats available at Target.com are either plant-based or use meat as the first ingredient — all are made without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Dreams do come true!
BYBI
Pro-planet beauty company BYBI (pronounced bye-bee) has been making 100% vegan and animal-cruelty-free skincare products since 2017. Their exciting Glowcurrant Booster, now available at Target, is also Upcycled Certified™.
One of its main ingredients, blackcurrant seed oil, is often discarded during the juice-making process. Instead of letting it go to waste, BYBI upcycles the oil, which is known for its ability to help keep skin moisturized. It can also make skin smoother, firmer, and more elastic, says BYBI’s website.
In addition to improving your complexion, Glowcurrent Booster is also improving the climate outlook. BYBI touts it as the beauty industry’s first carbon-negative product. The bottle is made using sugarcane, which absorbs triple the amount of carbon (learn more in this BYBI video).
A skincare product that brightens your face and the planet’s future? That’s a win-win.
So, the next time you shop at Target, aim for the Upcycled Certified™ products… we promise you won't miss!
Chris Vespoli (he/him) is a New York-based writer/producer who has created content for some of the world’s top media, entertainment, and consumer brands. You can see more of his work on his website.
