With fast and fine casual restaurants showing some of the strongest growth in the industry, we’re using more eco-friendly disposables for containers than ever before.
We’re all marginally aware of food waste, but how often do we consider what happens to the containers we use for dining-in, takeout, and delivery? Food containers and wrappers are the second highest culprit of beach littering nationwide (after cigarette butts—gross!), according to a study by the Ocean Conservancy and cited by the EPA, and food related waste makes up the highest percentage of litter in many places throughout the US.
What can we do, in the world of hospitality, to change this? It seems the only way to tackle this problem is to think globally, and act locally. That’s why, this month, M. Tucker partnered with Eco-Products for the second year in a row to sponsor the Pitney Meadows Community Farm Fire Feast. Our team descended upon the lovely city of Saratoga Springs, New York at just the perfect time. The air was just beginning to crisp and the leaves on the trees were beginning to shake free from their limbs for the winter.
Upon arrival to the Fire Feast, chefs from all over the country were cracking open local squash varietals and roasting whole chickens over open flames. They whipped, pureed and poached ingredients into a variety of light bites and main courses for the feast. Dinner was served inside a glowing greenhouse, with lights strung up in the rafters.
Serving local, sustainable ingredients in Eco Products’ compostable sugarcane bowls and plates was the perfect fit for a farm that composts everything onsite. Eco-Products’ eco-friendly disposables are 100% compostable and the company stands strong behind their mission to eliminate waste in foodservice.
“Composting is important because it allows us to take food scraps and compostable packaging and turn it into something valuable,” said David Fridland, Sustainability Maven for Eco-Products. John Sconzo, a.k.a. “Doc” Sconz, also praised the value of committing to sustainable packaging. “I love these disposables because they’re eco-friendly, sure, but also because they’re pretty,” Sconzo said. “They look great.”
The smooth white finish of Eco-Products’ Sugarcane collection blends naturally with any interior design scheme, whether you’re serving grab and go, fast casual service or need a takeout container that can sit nicely on top of a white tablecloth. It’s made of bagasse, a by-product of sugar production that’s rapidly renewable and holds up to the demands of foodservice. The days of white foam and non-recyclable plastic containers that crack under pressure are dwindling. We’ve seen less of a demand for these products and have removed almost one hundred SKU’s from stock to make way for greener alternatives.
We do this because it’s what our customers want, of course, but also because as the largest foodservice equipment and supplies distributor on the East Coast, it’s our responsibility to protect our ecosystem, including the highways on which our trucks travel and the waterways providing tap water to us, our customers, and our customers’ customers.
M. Tucker is committed to improving its sustainability in all facets of the business. We’re pushing the needle in the right direction by committing to eco-friendly disposables. Eco-Products’ Sugarcane collection is in stock in our New Jersey and Pennsylvania warehouses for immediate delivery. Request more information by sending an email to info@mtucker.com.
