I was down in Atlanta last weekend and I had the pleasure of getting together with Becky Striepe, editor of EatDrinkBetter.com and a fellow eco blogger.

Becky and I were chatting a bunch about the green blogosphere and our businesses, and she raised an interesting question / concern about compostables… one that I think a lot of the more liberal folks in the green space have.

She asked “I wonder sometimes whether compostables are a crutch for consumers who should really be using reusables?”

It’s an excellent question and given the fact that we (as Viv) are enabling businesses to purchase compostables at a discount, it’s one that we’ve definitely thought through.

Here are our thoughts:

1. For most consumers using compostables in their home, our answer is yes – compostables rarely make sense. Just as there’s no need to use disposable plastic cutlery or plastic cups in your home, there’s really no need to use compostables either. Most consumers will save money by using reusables as opposed to single use plastic items or compostables. Really the only argument for using disposables is that it’s more convenient, and even this argument is tenuous. Is it really that much more convenient to eat with a plastic fork then to pull a metal one out of the drawer and throw it in the dishwasher once you’re through? I think the vast majority of folks would say it’s no more convenient and for the few that say it is, that extra convenience should not outweigh the increased cost of having to purchase disposables.
2. For a few consumers using compostables for large events or social gatherings, our answer is maybe – compostables make sense sometimes. It honestly depends on how large your gathering is and what your appetite is for cost vs convenience. Example: say you’re having a big BBQ for 150 guests. Unfortunately, you only have enough plates & cutlery for 40 guests. Does it make sense to go out and buy another 110 ceramic plates just for the party? This definitely doesn’t make economic sense and it also doesn’t make environmental sense (the footprint of those 110 ceramic plates which are only getting 1 or 2 uses / yr is much larger than that of 110 disposables). You could try and borrow these items from friends, but that may be too inconvenient (you have to borrow from 3 different neighbors and send them home with dirty dishes?). You could also hire a catering service that could bring ceramic and metal tableware, but that may be too costly. In such a case, compostables are your best disposable option. On the other hand, if your BBQ only has 30 guests, you could just use your own items – no disposables needed. Sure it’s a little extra cleanup, but it’s also lower cost and a more enjoyable dining experience.
3. For most businesses, our answer is no – compostables are not a crutch and they make sense for to go food. Food service businesses that focus on take out move through very high volumes of food, and as such they use large amounts of food packaging & tableware. When you’re delivering food and beverage to potentially thousands of customers a day, two problems arise if you want to use reusables for your to go packaging: a) most importantly, reusables are more expensive and if you give someone their two enchiladas in a reusable container to take home… it’s very likely you’re not going to get that container back. This, I think, is fairly obvious and is the primary reason why most businesses can not use reusables for to go packaging, b) secondly, many to go focused businesses are small operations with limited space and limited employees. Even if customers were to return their reusable packaging (or say if they just ate their two enchiladas at a local park and then dropped the container back off before heading back to work) it may not be economically feasible for a taco truck to wash & store all these returned dishes. (PS – if it wasn’t clear, we always recommend food service businesses use reusables for folks that are dining in… it’s cheaper, better for the environment, and a better dining experience for the customer).

So that’s our take.

What do you think? Should people be using compostables in their homes, at large events, or for their businesses?

We’re part of a LinkedIn group called the Compost Network and recently had an interesting exchange with another member of the group.

Kathy W. said: “Any hope for composting movie theatre trash? I have a client that generates a lot of trash at their multiple locations. We’ve got them recycling the cardboard and larger plastics, but the bulk of their waste is from the snack bar. There is nothing clean about any of it: nacho cheese sauce on boxes, popcorn, cups with soda, etc.

Is there any hope to help them compost or otherwise recycle this mess? They do not, under their current staffing levels, have the time or manpower – or even storage space – for sorting. I welcome any suggestions!”

1. Tickets = Paper (Recyclable or Compostable)
2. Paper Towels in the Bathrooms = Paper (Compostable)
3. Food and Drink = Organic (Compostable)
4. Food and Drink Packaging from the Snack Bar = Plastic (! Not Compostable !)

(more…)

Food service businesses of all types have been using plastic containers with lids for decades. The containers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and are used as: take out food clamshells, deli containers, water and soda bottles, coffee cups, personal care bottles (e.g., shampoo or body wash bottles), and a great number of food items lining the shelves of grocery stores (e.g., milk cartons, food trays for produce, yogurt cups).

Traditionally, these items have been made from petroleum, but increasingly a new generation of containers and lids are available that are made from renewable resources including polylactic acid (corn), bagasse, paper, and wheat straw. These materials can be used to make food containers and lids that are certified 100% compostable according to ASTM D-6400 and D-6868, and can thus be composted in a commercial composting facility.

So with that, here are:

6 Reasons to Switch from Plastic Containers to Compostable Containers

(more…)

I read a blog post this morning over at Packaging of the World and decided this was way too cool and I had to re-blog. The short of it is this:

Heinz is letting every Australian and New Zealander know exactly what farm their frozen veggies are coming from.

It’s a whole new level of get to know your local farmer, and it doesn’t happen at the farmers market – it happens online.

Here’s how it works: (more…)

Looking to make a purchase? Check out our BPI certified 100% compostable coffee cups and compostable plastic cups.

So as we’ve mentioned, we’ve come to a conclusion recently that a large knowledge gap exists regarding biodegradable food packaging products and biodegradable cups.

We recently wrote up a buyer’s guide on compostable cold cups. We encourage you to read this guide first as it will give you the foundational buying knowledge you need when it comes to purchasing biodegradable cups.

UPDATE (8/3/2010): Viv Video Highlighting 4 Tips for Purchasing Biodegradable Cups

In this post we will focus on highlighting new criteria / information that you should be aware of specifically for biodegradable coffee cups.

Biodegradable Coffee Cups

Here’s what all purchasing managers need to know / evaluate when purchasing biodegradable cups and biodegradable coffee cups.

1. Price – This is again the most important factor for most organizations when it comes to purchasing biodegradable coffee cups. Again, we believe we have the best pricing available for small businesses, and as such, we encourage you to look around as pricing does vary widely.

2. Quality – Biodegradable coffee cup molds do not vary as profoundly as do molds for cold cups, and thus biodegradable coffee cups tend to be of similar quality. We do find that some are a bit more sturdy than others, but on the whole, quality is very similar across these biodegradable cups.

3. Design / Labeling – Again, labeling that identifies the biodegradable cups as 100% compostable is highly important. For more on why, please refer back to our buyer’s guide for compostable cold cups.

I’d like to focus here though on two very very important design aspects that many new-to-eco purchasers are not aware of.

1. Inner Lining of Biodegradable Cups – DO NOT PURCHASE BIODEGRADABLE COFFEE CUPS THAT HAVE A POLYETHYLENE (PE) OR PETROLEUM-BASED LINING.The vast majority of commercial composting facilities will not accept these cups as they contaminate compost¹. ONLY PURCHASE BIODEGRADABLE CUPS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED AS CONTAINING A “BIO-BASED” OR “BIO-PLASTIC” LINING. If the cups don’t say this, they’re probably lined with PE.
2. Sustainable Design – Truly eco-friendly paper hot cups should also be:
   • Made from high-levels of post-consumers recycled content
   • FSC, Forest Stewardship Council, certified as coming from well managed forests, and
   • ECF, elemental chlorine free, or PCF, processed chlorine free.

There are many biodegradable coffee cups out there today claiming to be compostable & eco-friendly and they are not. They’re lined with polyethelyne and are not made with high-levels of recycled content, FSC-certified, or PCF/ECF. We highly recommend steering clear of these cups.

4. Applications – Biodegradable coffee cups can be filled with any liquid, cold or hot. Typical uses by size that we’ve seen include:

• 8oz, 10oz, 12oz, 16oz, 20oz – Coffee, Tea
• 4oz, 6oz – Espresso, Tastings of hot beverages, Warm Sake

5. Compostability – Again, per our previous guide on cold cups make sure that the biodegradable cups you purchase are 100% compostable and are certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI).

Hopefully you’ve found the information helpful.

If you’d like, you can check out our compostable hot cups (from World Centric).

And If you have other things that you think we’ve missed or that you look for in biodegradable cups, please do add them in the comments.

About the Author: Dinesh is a co-founder of the Viv Biz Club, and has worked with hundreds of business owners and/or purchasing managers regarding their compostable needs. The Viv Biz Club works with a wide range of organizations, including: restaurants, cafes, schools, churches, farms, beverage companies, start-ups, in more than 30 states across the country.

Notes:
1) In a recent study commissions by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition it was found that only 8.3% of commericial composting facilities that accept food packaging also accept coffee cups with polyethylene (PE) lining (vs. 80% acceptance for biodegradable coffee cups lined with a bio-plastic like poly-lactic acid).

This is one of those – “How has no one thought of that??” ideas.

If you haven’t heard about the ‘Green Box’, it’s really quite brilliant. In short, it’s a 100% recycled pizza box where the top turns into 4 plates and the bottom folds over to create a smaller box for housing your leftover slices.

http://vimeo.com/3769370

The crux of why this is so great –> most recycling centers will not accept paper or cardboard products that have been soiled by food (e.g., pizza boxes). And since curbside composting is not available in most of the country, pizza boxes often end up in landfills. The green box allows them to be re-used and allows folks to reduce the amount of food packaging they would have otherwise used (e.g., no need for those paper plates).

(shout-out to GreenerDesign for tipping us off)

As I’m sure some of y’all know, Sun Chips has recently started rolling out its new 100% compostable bag in Canadian retail stores. Very cool.

I had heard about this a few weeks back, but only recently had a chance to scope out the time lapse video they put together that shows the bag breaking down in ~14 weeks in a commercial composting system that reaches 55 degrees C.

There have been a few different write-ups on the bag (my favorite is Triple Pundit’s, as a representative from Sun Chips answers some tough questions really well in the comments).

I wanted to highlight the video specifically though, as I think it’s really quite fantastic. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu5J5HQk6VY

Straight from Sun Chips:

“As you might imagine creating a window into this environment was a bit tricky. We built a chamber for composting to take place under typical conditions, but replaced one of the walls with a glass window to see inside. While this gave us a unique view into the composting process, it also created some unforeseen challenges. For example, the glass was more conducive to heat loss than the walls of a typical compost bin. To counteract this force, we had to heat the glass so that it would not cause the compost pile to lose more heat than it normally would.

The results were a way to peer inside an active compost pile with a sample of the new Sun Chips film in plain view. We were careful to keep the conditions typical for a well run compost facility – nothing different than natural conditions for heat and moisture. We then set up a camera to monitor the decomposition and snapped pictures every 15 minutes for 14 weeks. The results are self-evident and demonstrate the ability of this film to decompose in a compost bin fairly quickly.”

Love it. Understanding that this is marketing, I’ll be the first to say that it’s really really powerful marketing, and I think it’s quite moving to see the bag breakdown right before your eyes.

A big kudos to Sun Chips for going the extra mile to get this made – I hope it gets lots of great play across the web.

I heard about this new campaign recently called TakeOutWithOut and decided this was a must share.

The Mission: Enabling people & restaurants to reduce restaurant waste by forgoing excess food packaging.

A few thoughts on why this is so sweet:
1) I don’t need 50 napkins every time I buy a burrito.
2) If I’m grabbing take out and going home, I don’t need a plastic (or even a biodegradable) fork. There’s no need to waste the fork and metal tastes better in my mouth anyway.
3) There’s a reason 6-packs were built with handles – that way you can carry them back to your house/car/apartment/bike? without the plastic bag.
4) I’m sick of the awkward stares I get from cashiers (even in San Francisco – heart of green) every time I refuse a bag, cutlery, napkins, condiments… the list goes on.
4b) I’m sorry to admit that some of these confused stares (or maybe just a ‘not wanting to deal them’ attitude) have been bad enough that I’ve actually taken the excess packaging… which is obviously the worst way to go.

So needless to say – go ToWo. I’m still dubious of the “glass straws” you’re pushing (I’m not a straw biter, but it just seems dangerous) – everything else I’m on board with though.

(ps – just because we’re helping businesses switch over to compostable food ware or other products, doesn’t mean it’s not important to reduce or reuse first. don’t forget that.)

Looking to make a purchase? Check out our bagasse bowls & wheat straw plates.

Bagasse is the fibrous residue remaining after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed to extract their juice. Traditionally bagasse has been a waste by-product of the sugarcane production process. More recently is has been used as a fuel source for sugar mills, a fiber for paper production, and as an annually renewable resource in the production of sustainable materials and packaging.

Bagasse Production

Once sugarcane is harvested it is brought to a milling plant where it is crushed – typically with a series of large rollers. These rollers crush the sugarcane stalks and thus extract the juice from the sugarcane. The juice is collected and removed to be processed into sugar. The remaining fibrous stalk (which has been crushed, squeezed, and removed of it’s juice) is bagasse.

UPDATE (8/8/2010): Viv Video | Bagasse Products & Packaging – Why We’re Big Fans of Bagasse

Typically, 10 parts of crushed sugarcane will yield 3 parts of wet bagasse. Once removed, bagasse will be stored (either wet or dry) for one of its three major uses: fuel, paper, or packaging.

Bagasse Applications

Fuel: Many sugar mills will burn the remaining bagasse as fuel to power the mill. Bagasse fuel burn is considered carbon neutral as it releases an amount of CO2 equivalent to the amount consumed by the sugarcane during its growth period.

The negative externalities of burning bagasse are moderate,with the most significant pollutants being particulate matter and ash. Bagasse also burns less sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) than conventional fossil fuels since it contains lower levels of both sulfur and nitrogen.

Paper and Pulp: An estimated 5-10% of all paper is made from agricultural crops (i.e. not from trees) and a one of the most important contributors is bagasse. Bagasse contains a large amout of short fibers called ‘pith’. Around 30% of these fibers are removed from the bagasse prior to pulping. Despite these efforts however a large amount of pith remains. Traditionally, there has been a perception among pulp and paper manufacturers that this remaining pith leads to poor paper production rates when compared to other forms of pulp (e.g., eucalypt pulp). This is not the case however and it has been found that bagasse can be processed just as efficiently as other forms of pulp. Bagasse fibers have been found to be well suited for tissue, corrugating medium board, newsprint, and writing paper.

Because of the short lifecycle and fast growth of sugarcane plant, bagasse is viewed as an annually renewable resource. As such, bagasse paper and products have a significantly smaller environmental footprint relative to traditional paper and packaging products sourced from non-annually renewable resources such as trees (or in the case of packaging, petroleum…e.g., styrofoam).

Packaging: Increasingly bagasse is being manufacturered into packaging and food packaging products such as containers, plates, and bowls. These products can be certified as 100% compostable under ASTM standard D-6868. Bagasse food packaging products are typically heat resistant up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Products are also “soak proof”, but hot items will cause moisture/precipitation to form at the bottom. You’ll notice that many of the products offered by our partner World Centric are made from Bagasse. Bagasse food containers have become particularly popular as more than 100 cities and counties have moved to ban Styrofoam in the US. Bagasse containers in these cities are being used as alternatives to traditional plastic and styrofoam to go containers and disposable food service ware. Bagasse food packaging products typically biodegrade in 1-3 months in a commercial composting facility and 2-4 months in a home composting environment.