Meet the Flynns: Pioneers in Sustainable Corporate Snacks

Until 2019, Bryan Flynn thought that most plastic snack packaging was recyclable. Then, he and his wife Kate cofounded the snack company Sun & Swell, and he discovered the truth: Almost every trail mix bag and snack bar wrapper they made would end up in the landfill.

“It was kind of a chilling moment for us,” he told The FruitGuys. “We realized this whole industry is based on these types of [nonrecyclable] materials, and they’re really bad for the planet.”

Bryan and Kate decided to break the cycle. In 2020, they started packing their trail mixes, roasted nuts, dried fruits, and bars in compostable packaging. Reducing plastic waste became their company’s top priority, and they hope to shift the entire snack industry down a more eco-friendly path with their sustainable corporate snacks. 

Changing the Snack System with The FruitGuys

To help do that, they partnered with The FruitGuys in 2024. We deliver their snacks to offices across the country in our Thoughtful Snack Boxes, and in April 2025, we’re including their Roasted Nuts & Seeds Trail Mix in every box to celebrate Earth Month. We’re also offering their snacks in bulk by the case to companies for Earth Month events in the office. 

Making the snack industry more sustainable is an exciting and ambitious goal—especially because when Bryan and Kate started Sun & Swell, the environment wasn’t even on their radar.

How Sun & Swell Got Started

In 2018, Bryan and Kate were working long hours at high–powered jobs in the Bay Area. Apart from fresh fruit from The FruitGuys (which both of their employers offered), they ate nothing but processed snacks and candy bars, and their kitchen started gathering dust. 

To get their health back on track, they tried the Whole30 elimination diet. Suddenly, their go-to snacks were off the table.

“One night we had a conversation and said, wouldn’t it be great if somebody made a company with grab-and-go snacks that were simple, clean, organic, and all of the things we’d want to satisfy this diet at the same time? That set us down the path of thinking about starting a company,” Bryan said. 

Simple, Clean Ingredients 

When they started brainstorming new snack ideas, Bryan and Kate had a motto: “Five ingredients or less.” They used that guidepost to launch their very first product in 2019. They made Energy Balls with simple ingredients like dates, cashews, oats, and cacao. Soon, they expanded into other products, including Real Food Bars, dried fruit, and trail mixes. 

When it was time to pick a company name, they chose “Swell” because it reminded them of the beach. Unfortunately, the moniker was a little too close to the name of a vintage bubble gum brand—so they added “Sun,” and Sun & Swell was born.

The Pivot to Compostable Packaging 

Not long after Sun & Swell’s launch in 2019, Bryan and Kate had that “aha” moment about their plastic packaging. They went back to the drawing board to come up with bags and wrappers that were compostable but could still keep their snacks fresh—which was easier said than done. 

“We’ve been able to transfer all of our snack lines into Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI)–Certified compostable materials. That’s something we’re really proud of because there’s a reason you don’t see it out there as much. It’s very difficult to manufacture, with some difference in shelf life because [the compostable material] does biodegrade,” Bryan said. 

The Flynns had to change their supply chain, their operations, and the places they sold their snacks to make the swap work. Their sustainable corporate snacks are still preservative-free, so they also have a shorter shelf life than they used to. 

“We found a way to make it work, and we’re super proud to have a company that we think is, across the board, doing the right things,” Bryan said. 

All of Sun & Swell’s packaging is commercially compostable—even down to the tape on their boxes of bulk snacks. Offices without municipal composting can collect the wrappers from their staff and mail them back to the company for composting. Right now, the service has a cost attached, but Bryan and Kate hope to offer it for free in the future. 

In 2024, Sun & Swell celebrated saving more than one million plastic bags from production. The Flynns hope that one day, offices will swap all of their current grab-and-go snacks for alternatives in compostable packaging. To make that easier, Sun & Swell is expanding its sustainable corporate snacks to include more office go-tos, like roasted and salted cashews and almonds. 

Snacking for a Better Future

Sun & Swell is now a certified women-owned business and a Certified B Corp. To get that B Corp certification, Bryan and Kate had to prove that their company’s practices were responsible and sustainable, from the way they treat their employees to how they source their ingredients. 

They worked hard to make Sun & Swell even greener along the way. Their team supports sustainable agriculture and ocean conservation by giving back to nonprofits like the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (CIMWI), White Buffalo Land Trust, and The Surfrider Foundation.

As Sun & Swell grew, so did Bryan and Kate’s family. They now have two small kids who inspire them to keep pushing for sustainable solutions in the snack space. 

“We think a lot about them and what we’re building for the next generation. We like to think that we’re setting an example for what the next generation of packaged foods should look like,” Bryan said. 

Get Sustainable Corporate Snacks for Your Office

You can find Sun & Swell’s snacks in The FruitGuys’ Thoughtful Snack Boxes throughout the year. Our snack mixes rotate weekly, but in April 2025, we’re including Bryan and Kate’s Roasted Nuts & Seeds Trail Mix in every box to celebrate Earth Month. You can also order trail mix by the case as a sustainable treat for your team!