Know Your Ingredients: Substrates Matter

Transcription

1 Know Your Ingredients: Substrates Matter

2 As an operator, you know the ingredients in your food and beverage items. It goes without saying that you take care in selecting those ingredients to ensure the quality is right, the source is reliable and the price makes sense for your business. Shouldn t you take as much care in the selection of the food service disposables you send the food out in? Food service disposables have ingredients, too. They are called substrates. The properties of different substrates drive differences in performance, environmental impact and price. Your choice of substrates reflects the priority you place on source reduction, operational efficiency, sustainability, and meeting or exceeding patron expectations. There are four primary substrates for food service disposables: Paper Foam Plastic Alternative Plant-based Renewables

3 Research shows that consumers give food service disposables made from paper substrates the highest ratings on environmentally friendliness vs. other substrates. These findings are consistent across product categories including: 61% hot cups, food containers, and plates & bowls. 69% cold cups 60% food wrap Key Trends Paper Paperboard used to manufacture food service disposables is made from trees and/or recycled paper fiber. Although it is typically a lightweight and flexible material, different paper substrates can be layered together to add strength, durability, insulation properties, and a printable surface to a finished food service disposable item. Food service disposables made from paper are typically extruded with a coating made of polyethylene (PE) plastic or polylactic acid (PLA), a corn-based resin to add leak resistance. Paper disposables are generally more expensive than foam but less expensive than plastic. 1 Research shows that consumers give food service disposables made from paper substrates the highest ratings on environmentally friendliness vs. other substrates. These findings are consistent across product categories including hot cups (61%), cold cups (69%), food containers (61%), plates and bowls (61%) and food wrap (60%). 2 The ratings make sense based on standard industry practices. After all, paper is a renewable resource that is recyclable and compostable. Many suppliers have earned third-party certification for employing sustainable forestry practices. Technology enables paper-based food service disposables to incorporate recycled fiber. Further, paper-based food service items can be recycled at facilities that accept products that contain food residue. They can also be composted in commercial composting facilities with final screening capabilities. 3 Foam Short for expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, the foam substrate for food service disposables is made from polystyrene, a petroleum-based resin. Foam food service disposables are lightweight with excellent insulating properties. Foam disposables are low in cost, but bulky to handle and store. 4 Consumers, operators and municipalities have environmental concerns about foam. Foam will not compost, and recycling foam products has proved impractical. There are few collection facilities and even fewer recycling facilities that can process it. Because foam is lightweight but bulky, used containers are difficult to store and often cost prohibitive to ship to recycling facilities. As a result, foam has been banned in over 100 municipalities, including 50 cities in California; Portland, Ore.; Seattle, Wash.; Minneapolis, Minn.; the state of Massachusetts 5 ; and Washington, D.C. 6 High-profile food service industry players such as McDonald s, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks have come under pressure to eliminate the use of foam and announced plans to transition to alternatives to foam food service disposables. 7 The industry is working to develop foam products that include recycled content and biodegradable polystyrene resins to counter environmental concerns.

4 Key Trends $x4 Operators surveyed report that some food service disposables made from plantbased renewables can cost more than four times those made of traditional paper, foam or plastic materials. 12 Plastic Plastic substrates are made from a variety of petroleum-based resins such as polypropylene, PET and polystyrene. The wide variety of plastic substrates enables manufacturers to produce products with very different characteristics. For example, disposable cutlery requires a substrate with strength and rigidity, whereas a clear and flexible material is used for cold cups. Still other resins are woven into soft and absorbent food service wipers. Food service disposables made from plastic are generally more expensive per unit than foam or paper. 8 Production technologies enable manufacturers to incorporate recycled materials into many finished plastic food service disposables. Just as the finished product characteristics of plastic food service disposables vary, so does the environmental impact. PET, for example has a well-established recycling infrastructure, and its recycling symbol is commonly recognized. Lightweight polypropylene releases fewer greenhouse gases in production and uses reduced resins per unit to reduce the amount of material entering the waste stream. 9 Alternative Plant-Based Renewables In recent years, starches derived from plants such as corn, potatoes and sugar cane have been developed that serve as substitutes for petroleum-based plastics and other traditional materials. PLA is a commonly used example. Typically derived from corn, PLA is used as a coating for food service disposables, including cups, food containers and plates, that helps seal the items and prevent leakage. In addition to being made from renewable sources, PLA offers two key advantages over petroleum-based alternatives. First is its lower environmental impact to produce, and second, it can make the final product compostable in commercial facilities. 10 Flax is another example of a renewable plant-based substrate. Flax stalks, a previously unused part of the plant, are now used to make cloth-like disposable food service wipers. Like PLA, flax offers a high-performance alternative to petroleum-based materials that does not sacrifice functionality. 11 A key drawback to the increased use of plant-based renewables is the cost. Operators surveyed report that some food service disposables made from plant-based renewables can cost more than four times those made of traditional paper, foam or plastic materials. 12

5 According to the NRA s 2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast, 62% of fine-dining operators and 57% casual-dining restaurateurs questioned said they plan on adopting more environmentally friendly packaging. 15 Insights and Implications Making Informed Decisions to Enhance Your Takeout Program Understanding the characteristics of substrates is a critical element in making an informed choice of food service disposables. However there are other ingredients especially if you view food service disposables as a way to enhance your takeout program, rather than as just a cost of doing business. Here are some ideas on how food service disposables can add value to your business. Operating Efficiency. Evaluate food service disposables based on a complete operating solution for your establishment. Items such as napkins and cutlery, for example, are sometimes designed as part of a dispensing system. Efficient dispensing systems help your staff by minimizing the time required for refilling and maintaining supplies. What s more, they control patron usage and reduce waste. Source Reduction. Think of source reduction as waste prevention. Products can be designed, produced and packaged in ways that reduce the amount of waste that will be generated later in order to conserve resources, and all costs associated with processing waste. Be an active participant in source reduction efforts by seeking food service disposables that contain recycled material or are designed to minimize the amount of raw material required in production and packaging. Ask where products are made and what measures manufacturers take to conserve resources in the production process. Waste Reduction. Make waste reduction part of how you evaluate product performance. Consider the costs of waste disposal including transporting, landfilling, recycling and composting when reviewing product alternatives. One of the most effective ways to reduce the hassle and costs associated with handling waste is to minimize the amount of waste generated. A quality insulated hot cup, for example, can reduce the waste associated with double cupping or paper sleeves needed to serve hot beverages in an inferior cup. Dispensers can also protect products until they are used, while one-at-atime dispensing systems help curb usage and waste.

6 Insights and Implications Styrofoam is a brand name owned by Dow Chemical Company for its extruded polystyrene foam currently used for insulation and craft applications % of consumers do not know which restaurants or food service venues are committed to social responsibility or sustainability. 16 Local Leadership. Research local options for recycling and composting food service disposables. Take full advantage of the available facilities to reduce the volume of material entering the waste stream. If facilities are not available, become a local advocate for the development of these capabilities. Over time, your entire community could benefit. Competitive Advantage. Six in 10 consumers want food service establishments to communicate their sustainability initiatives more aggressively. 13 How can food service disposables help? Many are customizable and can carry your sustainability messaging. Ask for stock items that include sustainability information from the manufacturer regarding thirdparty certifications or recycled content. Take advantage of custom print options. Research product dispensers that enable custom messaging to be added. Supplier Partners. Finally, look for a supplier who can deliver all of the ingredients for a successful food service disposables program. These include a variety of proven substrates, third-party certification of manufacturing processes, use of recycled content and product design for source and waste reduction, innovative dispensing systems to help control usage and reduce waste, and operating efficiencies that drop to your bottom line. 60% of consumers want food service venues to publicize their initiatives more aggressively. 17 At Georgia-Pacific Professional, we believe that your choice of food service disposables is about much more than the functional performance of a cup or plate. It is an opportunity to differentiate your establishment from the competition, demonstrate your commitment to sustainability and increase the profitability of your business. Learn more about how our innovative food service disposable solutions at foodservice.gppro.com 1 Freedonia: Industry Study, Cups & Lids, Technomic: Foodservice Single Use Disposable Packaging Assessment, Freedonia: Industry Study, Cups & Lids, Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Washington Post, Mayor Signs Ban on Styrofoam Food Containers, Dunkin Donuts: Save the Earth, Freedonia: Industry Study, Cups & Lids, Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 GPpro.com. 12 Technomic: Foodservice Single Use Disposable Packaging Assessment, Technomic: Building a Better Foodservice Business through Sustainable and Responsible Practices, Wikipedia, accessed NRA: Restaurant Industry Forecast, Technomic: Building a Better Foodservice Business through Sustainable and Responsible Practices, Ibid.