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Sunday, May 20, 2012

Waxed Cardboard Boxes = Landfill Destiny = $$ Lost

landfill destined waxed cardboard box
As businesses move down the zero waste path, audits of remaining "trash" reveal packaging is one of the main components of items destined for the landfill.  For foodservice operators, waxed cardboard boxes for produce (fruits and vegetables) and protein (meats, seafood & poultry) are a significant contributor to a company's waste hauling charges.  

With a strong commodity market, operators who bale cardboard on-site often create a recycling profit center with revenue from the bales more than offsetting the additional labor.  On the other hand, waxed cardboard goes in the trash dumpster where the operator pays waste hauling charges.

Lily @ the podium
According to Lily Kelly, Global Green's Coalition for Resource Recovery program director, "Approximately 1.45 million tons are covered in paraffin wax, so they can't be recycled.The cost is about $200 million in foregone revenues and hauling fees" Recyclable | compostable coatings are available for cardboard boxes to replace the paraffin wax.

At the 2012 National Restaurant Association Show Elemental Impact Chair Scott Seydel orchestrated and Lily moderated an excellent educational session on transport packaging, with a focus on waxed cardboard boxes.  The formal session name was Challenging the Value-Chain to Transform Transport Packaging:  Eco-Friendly , Wallet-Friendly Solutions.

NRA Show session panel
Part of the session included the successful collaborative efforts by Mountainaire Farms and Interstate Container on developing a recyclable|compostable corrugated box for chicken transport. Pratt Recycling presented on how they harvest the urban forest to make cardboard boxes from 100% recycled material. HMSHost gave the foodservice operator's perspective on the end user of transport packaging along with an overview of their sustainability programs.

Elissa Elan, NRA senior editor, sustainability, gives a thorough session synopsis in the NRA News Hub article, Eco-friendly packaging, sustainability practices explored. ]The Ei FB album, 05-08-12 Transport Pkging Session @ the NRA Show, gives a pictorial session recap.

White Oak Pastures bull 
While CoRR addresses produce waxed cardboard use (the vast majority), Ei is exploring the packaging used in protein transport as the first steps in the Product Stewardship Focus.  To understand the current scenario, Ei Partners and friends visited two sustainable farms, each meeting the  Whole Foods 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards with a 5+ designation. The ZWA Blog post, Consumer Demand: A Powerful Voice to Affect Change, gives an overview of the farm tours and Ei's foray into Product Stewardship.

In true partner spirit, Ei was active at the 2012 NRA Show via the transport packaging session and a strong presence on the show floor.  See the IMPACT Blog post, 2012 NRA Show - Powerful, for a recap of Ei Partner show participation. The Ei FB album, 2012 NRA Show in Chicago, gives the pictorial recount.

At the NRA educational session and on the farm tours, it was thrilling to witness the passion in action to create transport material destined for recycling rather than the landfill.  With collaborative effort, solutions will come forth that make solid business sense for the entire value-chain.  ... and the best part is the environmental benefit!
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3 comments:

  1. Scott LutockaMay 20, 2012 at 1:13 PM

    As a Zero Waste achiever, we bale our corrugated and waxed/coated cardboard separately on-site and get paid for both.
    If the produce industry would consider moving away from icing produce where applicable and using newer packing technologies, it would also help to reduce this lesser-grade commodity carton.
    One of the challenges is that some of the nation's largest restaurant chains, who tout themselves as the leaders in Food Safety, refuse to spend the additional $.50 or $.75 per carboard carton to have items such as broccoli packaged in poly bags in order to avoid receiving iced-packed produce (which incidently can increase contamination risks). As foodservice chain restaurants recognize the role and pressure that they can bear on the produce and protein suppliers, the demand for waxed/coated containers will be exchanged for the more recycling-friendly corrugated cardboard preferred option.
    I recognize that the foodservice industry is highly competitive and that there is great pressure to reduce costs. However, as we move towards good Sustainability Practices, there will likely be times when some slightly higher costs would be incurred. Sustainability requires the balance of three aspects: Economical, Environmental, and Social.

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  2. trash hauling indianapolisMay 24, 2012 at 3:36 AM

    As foodservice chain restaurants recognize the role and pressure that they can bear on the produce and protein suppliers, the demand for waxed/coated containers will be exchanged for the more recycling-friendly corrugated cardboard preferred option.

    ReplyDelete
  3. trash pick up indianapolisJuly 6, 2012 at 2:18 AM

    As foodservice chain restaurants recognize the role and pressure that they can bear on the produce and protein suppliers, the demand for waxed/coated containers will be exchanged for the more recycling-friendly corrugated cardboard preferred option.

    ReplyDelete

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