Greener & Cleaner

Today, 80% of consumers consider themselves environmentally concerned. And, in a nation where restaurants use 7 times more energy than any other commercial building, they darn well should be.

According to the National Restaurant Association, “environmental sustainability” will be a hot trend in 2016, with eateries taking action to reduce their carbon footprints. And, after switching to the GreenBox (of course ☺), there are all sorts of ways - big and small - to go green.

These are just a few of our favorites.

1. Local Lovin’
Love thy neighbor, source locally! When you purchase from a farmer’s market or other local vendor, you’re investing back into the community - and saving big on fuel, too. 

Here in NYC, pizzerias have it made. Thanks to Gotham Greens, a 15,000 square foot greenhouse sits atop Brooklyn’s Whole Foods, where over 100 tons of leafy greens are harvested annually. GreenBox users Two Boots and Emily both take advantage of this urban rooftop garden, layering their artisan pies with fresh basil, arugula and “rooftop red” tomatoes 365 days per year.

2. Durable Décor
Why have regular chairs when you can rock recycled ones? Yes, that’s a thing - and we’re all about it. At Manhattan’s Pizza by Certe, the countertops are crafted from recycled bottles and the architectural millwork has been sourced from wheat. Even their walls, ceiling panels and cabinets are made from reclaimed materials. Certe’s “vertical garden” is a showstopper, growing fresh basil during the warmer months. We know, we know. These guys bring Certified 3-Star Green Restaurant to a whole new level. And we love ‘em for it.

3. Earthy Equipment
When it comes to sustainability, small changes add up. According to Pizza Today, a restaurant can cut 10% of its total electric bill just by switching to LED light bulbs. If you’re hoping to preserve water, incorporating flow-restricted faucets is the way to go, saving up to 73,000 gallons of water per year.

But, if you’re lookin’ to go green all the way, Neapolitan Express is the fleet to beat. The first mobile restaurant powered entirely by natural energy, their planet-friendly practices drew the attention of former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg. Their brick and mortar location - the very first pizzeria on Wall Street - just wouldn’t be complete without a solar-paneled roof & community garden.

In a world of conscious consumers, how will you make a difference?

GreenBox Guest Post: Scott Wiener, Pizza Leader

GreenBox lover, Guinness World Record holder, pizza fanatic….and friend. Scott Wiener is a darn cool guy to know.

Dubbed New York City’s “professional pizza expert," Scott’s passion for pie led him to start Scott’s Pizza Tours – and there’s nothing else quite like it. Over the last six years, Scott has conducted over 2,000 pizza adventures throughout the Big Apple, showcasing the city’s top pizza spots to over 33,000 tour guests to date. He's even made time to write a book (and an awesome one at that). 

But Scott’s “fervor for the flavor” doesn’t end there. He’s scoured the globe, visiting over 50 countries in search of the most unusual pizza boxes – a hobby that recently landed him a Guinness World Record for world’s largest pizza collection. From Australia to Thailand, Scott has over 750 boxes… and the GreenBox just happens to be one of them. :)

Six years ago, Scott stumbled upon the GreenBox at Arturo’s Osteria & Pizzeria, and it was a match made in pizza paradise. We couldn’t be prouder to have the GreenBox among such a unique collection, owned by the one guy who’s as obsessed with pizza as we are. 

Check out his blog post below, and keep on pizza-ing on.

"If you haven’t heard about the GreenBox, you need to check it out. It’s a pizza box that transforms into 4 plates and a slim container for your leftover slices. It was just featured on Shark Tank! I saw one in the wild today at Emily, a rad pizzeria in Clinton Hill (Brooklyn) during a fantastic service of the Margot’s Pizza pop-up by Adam Kuban.

The leftover slices ended up in my care, so it was the perfect excuse to use the GreenBox for its greatest power: the pizza carrying case. I ran into a bit of a snag when I realized I was traveling on bicycle, but that was easily solved with a few zip ties."