Takeout surged during pandemic, prompting calls for more environmentally friendly packaging
Attractive compostable takeout containers from Good Start Packaging. (Credit: GlobeNewswire /Christian Goulette Photography)
According to the National Restaurant Association, the explosive rise in popularity of takeout orders during the COVID pandemic is not just a temporary event. A 2022 study conducted by the organization revealed that 54% of adults, including 72% of millennials and 66% of Gen Z adults, say takeout food is essential to the way they live.
Takeout has been a vital way to support businesses during the pandemic, but it has come at a steep cost to the environment. A study conducted by the European-based Marine Litter Lab found that 44% of plastics polluting the ocean come from takeout food containers.
Good Start Packaging is on a mission to eliminate the disposable plastics used by foodservice operators. Since the company was founded in 2009, it has become a leading North American supplier of compostable alternatives to plastic and foam takeout food containers and restaurant supplies.
“Our goal is to help eliminate our collective dependency on disposable plastic while helping our clients build sustainable, successful businesses,” explains company founder and CEO, Ken Jacobus. Good Start Packaging’s products are made from renewable resources such as corn, sugar cane fiber, bamboo, and recycled paper. They are free from toxic chemicals and require fewer resources in manufacturing.
When disposed of in commercial composting facilities, the products that Good Start Packaging supplies will decompose in about two to four months, creating soil that is often sold to garden centers and landscape companies. “Most compostable containers will not break down in a home composting environment because the temperatures don’t get hot enough,” explains Jacobus. “However, the packaging is still much better for the environment because of the sustainable practices used in their creation.”
For Earth Day 2022, Good Start Packaging is urging foodservice operators to consider alternatives to plastic takeout materials. “In 2018, Earthday.org launched its End Plastics Pollution campaign to eliminate single-use plastics and support regulations for the disposal of plastics. Then along came COVID and plastic packaging use surged. It is crucial that we re-focus our commitment on more sustainable solutions,” says Jacobus.
Source: Company Press Release