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?

"Out of the Box": 10 of Our Best-Kept Secrets

It's a pizza box, 4 plates and a storage container. Oh my! 

Friends of GreenBox all know and love our eco-friendly "genius pizza box" (the one that's changing the world, one pizza box at a time ☺), but we're betting even our biggest fans will learn a little something today. 

So, since we just feasted on a large pie and we're feelin' good (and in a partial food coma) we thought we'd share some of our best-kept secrets. It's time we let them out of the box, dontcha think?

Here goes nothin'!

1. Even celebrities love the GreenBox. Back in 2009, A-list actor and Twitter aficionado Ashton Kutcher tweeted about our product with one simple word: "Smart." For a young start-up, the moment was huge. Six years later and we still brag about it to our friends. 

2. The GreenBox wasn't a gift from the Gods. It was actually invented by our co-founder, William Walsh, back in college. Living in a frat house left a lot to be desired (including clean dishes), so Will began tearing pizza box tops into plates. One X-acto knife and 100 pizza boxes later, Will came up with a use for the bottom of the box, too: a compact storage container for leftovers. It was then and there that the GreenBox design was born. 

3. The GreenBox may be American-made, but it's available to pizzerias all over the globe. In fact, the GreenBox is making waves "down under" through our partner in Australia (heck yeah, mate!), as well as in Central America, the Middle East and, in coming months, Europe! We just couldn't keep this game-changer to ourselves. ☺ 

4. In 2009, GreenBox was founded by three best friends - and today, we are infinitely proud to call one of those founders our President. Jennifer Wright-Laracy left her stable finance job behind to pursue her dream of entrepreneurship (and pizza obsession). Her story was recently spotlighted on CNBC's "Escaping the Cube." How's that for an awesome leader?

5. Our GreenBox demo video currently boasts over 5.6 million views. That's five times the number of people living in the state of Rhode Island. Just let that soak in for a minute. 

6. The GreenBox was named one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2009. Check out GreenBox creator Will Walsh spotlighted in all his pizza-loving glory. This photo will hang on our wall for years to come, and we couldn't be prouder.

7. Arturo's Pizzeria in Maplewood, NJ and the Big Apple's Pizza by Certe were the first users of the GreenBox - and have both stayed loyal to us from the beginning. Their unwavering faith in our product has helped make GreenBox the new standard of pizza boxes. How lucky are we? 

8. Following a nomination by Whole Foods, the GreenBox was the winner of the Responsible Packaging Award in 2010 (psst: The GreenBox is in half of the Whole Foods' across the U.S.). 

9. We've met some cool people along the way. After being selected by Wharton as one of the "Top 25 Most Promising Start-ups," we were lucky enough to snap this photo with CNBC Host Donny Deutsch at the award ceremony. Don't worry - we made sure to reel him into the GreenBox fan club.

10. We've made the media rounds. In 2014, we were in the hands of Rachael Ray, on set of The Chew, and spotlighted by Today.com, The Huffington Post, the LA Times, BuzzFeed and more (really - the list is crazy long). Then, just a few months ago - the GreenBox was featured on ABC's "Shark Tank" and CNBC's "Power Lunch." It's been one heck of a whirlwind, and we're thrilled to have you along for the ride. 

Pumpin' Up Your Pulse with Pizza

Want to get us to run? Promise us there’ll be food at the end.

Better yet, promise us pizza.

New York City’s annual pizza run has got this down pat, and the race is just around the corner.

(Yes, we swear this is a real thing.)

That’s right: on Saturday, September 13^th, food-frenzied New Yorkers will hit the streets to complete a two-mile run through historic Tompkins Square Park. After each lap, every runner must stop at a “pizza station” and scarf down a slice. The one who races and faces his pizza fastest will be crowned Pizza Run Champion.

…And yes, there WILL be prizes.

All in all, we love the Pizza Run for a whole bunch of reasons. First, a portion of the proceeds benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) – the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research.

Secondly, we love pizza. And people who love pizza.

Pizza by Certe, Manhattan’s first Gold LEED certified pizzeria (and rockstars of the GreenBox) is backing the event, too. In fact, all of the pie eaten during the race is straight from their eco-friendly kitchen, and served in our 100% recycled pizza boxes.

Therefore, in the words of fellow Tweeter, @LeslieEMcDonald: “This, I can get behind.”

Come on, fellow foodies. Let’s show our pizza passion. We’ll race ya for it.

Pizza Operators: Get Your Green Message Off and Running!

Chef Ed, Diego and Miguel of Pizza by Certe (L to R) and Jennifer of Ecovention

In June this year, I received a fun, albeit slightly daunting, invitation from Edward Sylvia, owner of Pizza by Certe'.  Chef Ed, as he is affectionately known, challenged me to participate in a unique event called the NYC Pizza Run.

In its second year, the NYC Pizza Run takes place in the heart of NYC’s Alphabet City and is for a great cause (entry fees benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International based in New York).  Participants are required to run a 2.25 mile course that winds through and around Tompkins Square Park, stopping along the way to scarf down pizza at three separate checkpoints.

I like running. I do. I’m not one of those gazelle-like creatures that can spring swiftly and effortlessly, but I can plod with the best of them and 2.25 miles is well within my realm of capability.  And I like pizza… a lot actually.  I like doing something charitable every once in awhile too.  So when Chef Ed proposed this challenge, I jumped right on board. 

Now, I wouldn’t put "running and pizza" in the same category as "chocolate and peanut butter", but I will say this – it does make for great PR.  For green pizza operators, getting involved in unique events like the NYC Pizza Run is a great way to gain exposure and drive home their eco-friendly message.

For Pizza by Certe’ that message is to buy green and source locally and Chef Ed reinforced this at the NYC Pizza Run every chance he got.  He did so both subtly (by using and displaying the 100% recycled GreenBox pizza box) and directly (by highlighting the eco-friendly aspects of his parlor to the many TV and print journalists that were present).  He also managed to give prominence to the Pizza by Certe’ logo by displaying it on the backs of the official NYC Pizza Run T-Shirts that were handed out, and on the coupons and menus included with the official NYC Pizza Run swag.  The result of Chef Ed’s efforts?  A video on the NY Times site and mentions in the NY Times, the NY Daily News, USA Today, the Huffington Post and multiple other blogs.

The message to pizza operators:  Look for interesting events to get involved in to get your green message out there.  For the cost of a few pizzas and a bit of your time you’ll end up with some powerful publicity that matches the marketing power of a much larger chain that puts you on the map!

So how’d I do? Well, unfortunately on my third and final lap around the park, I somehow (perhaps intentionally, on some subconscious level) took a wrong turn, which ultimately landed me in the home stretch far quicker than I ever should have been.  Phew. There. I got that off my chest. A secret held by me and a cameraman who looked at me sideways as I raised my arms up in triumph at the finish line.  Ah well, I finished – somewhere in the middle of the pack - that’s all that matters. And it’s too late to take back my T-Shirt.