Fabri-Kal Greenware Square Grab and Go – These new compostable takeout containers by Fabrikal are fantastic! We have had many requests over the years for a container with 4 equal compartments and now there is one readily available! The other 2 containers are great, but the 4 compartment is the clear winner among meals with copious amounts of flavors that are not meant to run together! It’s perfect for separating finger foods from their dip, or portions of different sauces while keeping them safe from odor/flavor transfer. Like many of our products, this Grab and Go is made from 100% plant based materials and is compostable.

In the past decade our planet has become host to the rising establishment known as the coffee shop. People who were once too intimidated to even order a black coffee from the notoriously snooty counter person known as a “barista” have now completely conformed to the culture by spatting off, “Give me a double, skinny, no foam, sugar free vanilla, extra hot latte with whip and cocoa powder.” We’ll be studied in biology books in the centuries to come as the transitional fossil between the first Seattle coffee shop and our future 3-armed skeleton, with an extra appendage for toting that white paper cup. Well, that is if we don’t drown in all those disposable paper cups before then.

Yes, every paper coffee cup you’ve ever used is still lurking in a landfill somewhere, and they’re gaining on us at an alarming rate. It’s estimated that 58 billion paper cups are thrown away every year, not including recycled cups.  They rarely can be recycled due to the polyethylene lining the interior. Since paper cups are mostly comprised of virgin wood, about 20 million trees are cut down for a year’s worth of cup production. And to make all of these cups we need around 12 billion gallons of water. Many cup manufacturers and their patrons are taking notice of the issue and proactive movements have begun to invent more sustainable ways to serve your favorite bean juice.

The Complete Package is also taking part in this effort by offering coffee cups with a lighter carbon footprint. We now have Moducup paper cups, which boast 25% post consumer recycled paper, and Eco-Wave cups which are designed to eliminate the need for a sleeve; saving the environment and you on cost. The population has spoken, and coffee on the go is here to stay.

The US is going green with Ultragreen as the first company to manufacturer biodegrable, compostable and sustainable products made from wheat straw. They’ve done away with the environmental nightmare of petroleum-based plastics that take hundreds of years to break down, contaminate our soil, groundwater and oceans.

This is a great step towards making our country a cleaner place and huge growth opportunity for local farmers and community.   If you would like to learn more about Ultragreen, their expansion or product line please contact me directly or download the product PDF.

In another push toward New York City being Mother Nature approved, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that our city’s recycling program is expanding to include all rigid plastics. This news comes as area recycling is at an all time low of 15%, down from 20% in 2001. Many factors for the low recycling rates have been speculated, including confusion over which items could and could not be tossed in the recycle bin, lack of convenience in older apartment buildings that only offer one garbage chute, and an early cut back by Mayor Bloomberg in the recycle program to save money.

Starting immediately residents are encouraged to recycle all forms of hard plastic which will be sorted by a new optical technology that can identify and separate plastics by type. With the help of this sorting advance, the city can except to spare approximately 50,000 tons of waste from going to a landfill, and save taxpayers $600,000 per year. After expanding to include a new SIMS facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the mayor is striving to get recycling to a 30% goal level by 2017.

The ultimate goal to be reached by this new recycling expansion is to simplify recycling and make it accessible for everyone living in New York City. The only stipulations that remain are to rinse off your plastic before placing it in a receptacle, and to avoid putting plastic bags in with your rigid plastic, as the bags tend to interrupt the optical technology as it sorts at the facility.

Enjoy your new life as a more effortless recycler!  Read More: Here

The ongoing problem of plastic debris and waste hurting and killing hundreds of millions of marine life shows no signs of stopping. The wind blows this debris into oceans from streets and shorelines. Various sea creatures around the world are consuming, breathing in and getting stuck in our plastic garbage. Most plastic bottles take over 400 years to  breakdown while most plastic bags can take 10 to 20 years. One of the most notable victims of this insidious epidemic are sea turtles.

Plastic Debris Effect on Sea Turtles

Sea turtles have swallowed, inhaled, and gotten trapped inside of various plastic bottles and containers. They mistake these plastic items for food. Unfortunately, these are fatal mistakes for sea turtles because their bodies are not able to reject or fully digest the debris. Many turtles have washed up on dead beaches with plastic food and beverage containers, wrappers and even balloons found in their stomachs. However, there are possible solutions to help stop this tragic recurrence.   

Your Business Can Help Sea Turtles Survive

By not using plastic or styrofoam for packaging materials and choosing more sustainable options, business can cut down on ocean pollution and waste. Cardboard, paper, bubble wrap and recycled plastics are biodegradable materials that break down naturally and do not pose a threat to marine life. By using these packaging materials, your business is preserving millions of sea turtles' lives and helping reduce waste on a global scale.

Learn more about our eco-friendly food packaging containers.

Did you know that even before the first diesel engine scientists named E. Duffy and J. Patrick conducted the first conversion of a vegetable oil as a fuel as early at 1853. Over a Century later we are just now starting to utilize this greasy gold and convert it into a biofuel to power vehicles. The fuel is much more prominent in European countries. But with nearly 20,000 restaurants in the 5 boroughs of New York City, we’re creating tons of used cooking oil which makes me think we could be sitting on the next big gold mine.

A new study published by the World Economic Forum, has warned that the oceans will have more plastic debris than fish by the year 2050.
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There are exciting things happening in the world of couture take-out. What? You’ve never heard of “couture take-out” before? Okay, well, we just invented the term. There’s no other way to explain the high-fashion standards met by PackNWood’s sleek and sophisticated food packaging. Good looks aside, these to-go boxes are zen through and through. Made from sustainable materials such as wood, bamboo, palm leaf, sugar cane and cornstarch, they are also recyclable and biodegradable. Even the people of PackNWood hold themselves to high environmentally ethical standards and encourage the same from the businesses they consort with.

PackNWood has a size, style and shape to compliment and enhance every dish, much like the perfect frame to finish off a Van Gogh. Don’t be surprised if your customers refuse a bag because they’re eager to strut down the sidewalk with their new “couture take-out” in hand.  Contact me if you would like to learn more.