Julia Pütz at HelloFresh: Packaging, Food Waste & Climate

Julia Pütz is joining HelloFresh as Director of Sustainability, bringing more than seven years of experience in sustainability from the fashion industry to the meal delivery sector.

The appointment marks a significant career shift for Julia, who has built her expertise primarily in the clothing industry before transitioning to food systems.

Julia began her professional journey in 2015 at PwC, following her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The Berlin School of Economics and Law.

She worked as an Associate at Sustainability Services Practice before moving to Puma as a Junior Sustainability Analyst.

By 2020, Julia had progressed to Corporate Sustainability Manager at Puma, where she managed the company's energy and climate-related activities.

During her time there, she helped create a carbon emissions reduction pathway to achieve a Science Based Target at Puma, working in collaboration with the supply chain sustainability team.

She also completed a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics, specialising in environmental and resource economics, sustainable value chains and international cooperation.

In October 2021, Julia joined Carhartt Work In Progress (WIP) as a Senior Sustainability Manager.

In this position, she built the company's environmental sustainability framework from scratch, including greenhouse gas emission calculation and reporting.

Julia's most recent role was Head of Sustainability, Environment & Climate at Carhartt WIP, a position she held for almost three years.

She led the development of Carhartt WIP's first climate strategy and decarbonisation pathway.

Reflecting on her time at the company, Julia says on LinkedIn: "This week marked my final day at Carhartt WIP. After more than four incredible years, I'm stepping into a new chapter.

"We moved sustainability from a developing function to a strategic pillar. From Double Materiality and SBTi-aligned targets to our Climate Transition Plan – it was always about moving beyond reporting to drive actual business impact."

"This journey reinforced a core belief: sustainability leadership is systemic leadership. It's no longer standalone. It means integrating climate ambition and supply chain transformation into risk management and business strategy.

"I'm deeply grateful to my team and the colleagues who drove this transformation. Watching my team grow and thrive in a culture where we could challenge the status quo and truly trust each other was my absolute highlight."

HelloFresh positions sustainability as a key priority throughout its operations, aiming to source ingredients directly from the producer.

The shorter supply chain between the producer and the consumer could allow the company to avoid packaging and repackaging throughout the delivery process.

According to HelloFresh, its meals create 25% fewer carbon emissions than the same meals made from supermarket ingredients, compared to a global average.

Its recipe boxes come with pre-measured ingredients for each meal, which could help consumers avoid food waste.

Integrating sustainability into operations

The company is working on innovations for its packaging to ensure it is optimised and sustainable.

It has switched to fully recyclable and paper sachets for its dry ingredients such as pasta and grains.

HelloFresh also encourages consumers to reuse their boxes or meal-kit bags for other purposes like as a recycling bin liner or a lunch bag.

In her new role at HelloFresh, Julia will lead the integration of the company's sustainability strategy into its operations.

She will draw upon her experience leading sustainability teams, including working on supply chain sustainability and sustainable sourcing.

She will also use her expertise in sustainability reporting, helping HelloFresh be as transparent as possible with its emissions measurement and reporting.

Julia announces the move on LinkedIn: "After many years working on sustainability in the fashion industry, I've stepped into a new arena: food systems.

"I'm excited to join HelloFresh as Director Sustainability.

"Different industry, same core challenge: embedding sustainability into business strategy, operations and supply chains at scale. Excited for what's ahead."