GreenBox Helped Avert a Global Economic Meltdown!

Here at Ecovention, LLC we strive to make planet earth a better place via our offering of environmentally friendly packaging products. It puts a smile on our face every day to know that we are helping out in a small, but meaningful, way.  But, at the end of last year, we helped the world in a way that we never could have imagined… we helped avert a global economic meltdown! 

Now, you may be asking yourself… how could a little packaging company avert a global economic meltdown? Well, we would have asked the same question too, if not for an article we stumbled upon, entitled "Pizza Expert Searches for Box That is Said to Have Prevented Government Shutdown."

According to that article, photographic evidence of an aide at the Capitol pushing a cart stocked with pizza on October 15, 2013 to Speaker of the House John Boehner's office, gave proof that pizza helped prevent a government shutdown. And what was said pizza packaged in?  None other than our GreenBox pizza box (branded SmartBox) used by Washington D.C. area chain, Pizza Boli's! Check out Pizza Boli's cool demo video for their SmartBox here:

Not surprisingly, Scott Weiner, an award-winning expert about pizza and the proud owner of the world’s largest pizza box collection, is now on a mission to get his hands on Pizza Boli's SmartBox. “I want that box,” Weiner said when he was reached for comment.  “To some people it’s just a piece of garbage…But to me it’s a piece of America’s political history.”  Well said, Scott!

2013 in a Nutshell (Or More Appropriately, A GreenBox)

With the holidays almost over and the long winter deep freeze upon us, we thought we'd take a fond look back at all of the exciting events of 2013...

- In November, the GreenBox pizza box was prominently featured in the book, Viva La Pizza!. Written by Scott Weiner and described by the Wall Street Journal as "a little slice of art," Viva La Pizza! is a fascinating look at an overlooked art form, and classic part of our eating lifestyle, the pizza box. See side panel for an excerpt about the GreenBox pizza box from Weiner's book

-  In June, alongside our distributor partner Roma Foods / Performance Food Group, we launched a brand new custom GreenBox at the Jimmy's Pizza chain of pizza restaurants! Established in 1986, Jimmy's Pizza operates 36 locations in Minnesota and five more locations in the Dakotas and Wisconsin.  If you love a thick crust and lots of cheese, Jimmy's Pizza will be up your alley!  And the Jimmy Stix... fresh baked dough brushed with garlic butter, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and served with warm marinara sauce, makes for the perfect side dish. 

-  In July, we launched our DoggieBox storage container and all sizes of our GreenBox pizza box on Amazon.com, making the GreenBox brand accessible across the country! 

-  In September, GreenBox was the proud sponsor of several charity events, including the 15th hole at Connecticut distributor Russell Hall's annual golf tournament, with proceeds from the event donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

-  Also in September, alongside our long-time customer Pizza by Certe, we were the proud sponsor of the annual New York Pizza Run (organized by Jason Feirman, writer of our favorite blog, "I Dream of Pizza"), with event proceeds donated to the  Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.

-  In October, we were a proud sponsor and donator of over 1,000 GreenBox pizza boxes for the annual Slice Out Hunger event (organized by Scott Weiner of Scott's Pizza Tours), with event proceeds donated to Food Bank for New York City.

And so, with 2014 fast approaching, we look forward to another exciting year of introducing many more cutting edge, eco-friendly new products, and getting involved in causes that mean something to our company, our community and our customers! We at Ecovention, LLC wish our loyal readers a healthy, happy and environmentally friendly 2014!

2012 in a Nutshell (Or More Appropriately, A GreenBox)

Since the first month of the year is not quite over yet, we think it is still appropriate to wish our loyal readers a Happy New Year and all of our best wishes for the year ahead. With the holidays over and the dreary deep freeze upon us, we thought we’d take a fond look back on all of the exciting events of 2012…

2012 was a notable year for new product introductions… 

-  In March, we introduced our brand new GreenBox SliceBox in Whole Food Markets’ North Atlantic Region. The beauty of this packaging is threefold:  (i) It is made from 100% recycled material instead of a blend of virgin and recycled fibers; (ii) it is uncoated, making it 100% recyclable and compostable; and  (iii) it stores flat, saving on storage space for our restaurant customers and eliminating the scrap waste that is created by the popping and tearing of pre-glued corners.

-  In September, we introduced our brand new GreenBox Sandwich Sleeves in Whole Food Markets’ Florida Region. Whole Foods’ loves this packaging for a few reasons:  (i) its made from 100% recycled material; (ii) its uncoated, making it 100% recyclable and compostable; and  (iii) it serves as a convenient plate for shoppers eating on-the-go, even while they shop!

2012 was also an outstanding year for giving back!...

-  In September, GreenBox was a proud sponsor of the 15^th hole at Connecticut distributor Russell Hall’s annual golf tournament, with proceeds from the event donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  

-  In September, our long-time customer Pizza by Certe donated mounds of pizza served in the GreenBox to the annual New York City Pizza Run (organized by Jason Feirman, writer of our favorite blog, “I Dream of Pizza”), with event proceeds donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.

-  In October, we donated 1,000 GreenBox pizza boxes to the annual Slice Out Hunger event (organized by Scott Weiner of Scott’s Pizza Tours), with event proceeds donated to City Harvest.

And so, with 2013 now in full swing, we look forward to another exciting year of introducing many more cutting edge, eco-friendly new products and getting involved in causes that mean something to our company, our community and our customers! We’ll be keeping you posted!

2012 GreenBox Pizza Box Launches

2012 was a remarkable year for new GreenBox Pizza Box launches.  Below is a list of just a few of our prestigious new GreenBox customers:

- Johnson & Wales University (Red Sauce)

- Brown University (The Gate)

- Hyatt Regency (Pizzeria Consegna)

- Cosmopolitan Hotel (The Secret Pizzeria)

- Whole Foods Mid-Atlantic Region

- Pizzeria Da Vinci

- Telepizza El Salvador 

- Telepizza Guatemala

- Neapolitan Express

- Basilico Pizza

- Bridge Pizza

- Sonoma Mountain Pizza

- Park City Pizza

Stay tuned for many more exciting GreenBox pizza box launches in the year ahead!

A Tribute to William Walsh

Today marks the one year anniversary of the passing of William Walsh, our CEO, business partner and, most importantly, our best friend. We miss him every day but his enthusiasm and creative spirit will live on forever in his ingenious GreenBox and other packaging designs. ~ Jen & Ned

Green Spotlight On Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe

If you’ve ever spent time at college, or even crashed for a weekend in a friend’s dorm, you’ll know that pizza and college students go together like, well, pizza and college students.  The Pickleman's Gourmet Café chain of stores knows this well and caters to this fact, with locations at St. Louis University's Grand Center campus and in such other college-towns as Columbia, MO; Springfield, MO; and Lincoln, NE.

Founder Doug Stritzel also knows that, like him, the college set cares about creating a more eco-friendly world.  Here’s what Stritzel has to say on the matter:  “as a father, business owner, and leader in our community it is my responsibility to try to be a little more earth friendly, not for me, but for our children and our children’s children…just a little here and there adds up over time.”  Well said, Doug!  To that end, Stritzel made sure to introduce our 100% recycled, multifunctional GreenBox pizza box (pictured above) into his stores alongside his 100% biodegradable corn-based cutlery, cups, lids and salad containers and reusable soup bowls. 

Stritzel first opened Pickleman’s doors in October 2005 in Columbia, MO and today the chain has ten locations and counting across Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahama.  He opened his first cafe as an upscale sandwich shop catering to students through late delivery hours, free wi-fi and televisions tuned to sports. In 2007, Stritzel took his student-friendly concept one step further by adding pizza to his menu.  Now, we know what you’re thinking, a sandwich shop that offers pizza, can't have good pizza.  But you’d be dead wrong in the case of Pickleman's pizza.  Pizzas with chicken are the emphasis – and with the Asiago Chicken, Chicken Giardiniera, BBQ Chicken and Buffalo Chicken pizzas, you can’t go wrong. The Hog (for those that enjoy a little pepperoni and sausage) and The Veggie (the vegetarian option) top off the store’s menu nicely – just check out the reviews… and stop by Pickleman’s Gourmet Café next time you’re in the midwest!

'GreenBox Technology' Launched at Telepizza Restaurants Throughout El Salvador and Guatemala

In collaboration with manufacturing partner SigmaQ, Ecovention is pleased to announce the launch of Telepizza’s innovative multifunctional 'GreenBox Technology' Pizza Box. Telepizza, operated by Pollo Campero (the largest fast food chain in the Central America), is the first to bring 'GreenBox Technology' to Guatemala and El Salvador.

Using Ecovention's patented technology, Telepizza's box breaks down into four plates and a smaller container for leftovers, eliminating the need for disposable plates and ancillary storage materials like aluminum foil and plastic wrap. The 'GreenBox Technology' product brings Telepizza’s pizza to a new level of convenience and environmental sustainability for its customers.

“We are thrilled to bring Ecovention’s revolutionary technology to Central America,” said Henry Yarhi, CEO of SigmaQ. “The ‘GreenBox Technology’ product exemplifies SigmaQ’s humanitarian and global vision of sustainable packaging solutions.”

“Our company is excited to be furthering our relationship with SigmaQ and expanding our product’s reach into another part of the world,” said Jennifer Wright, Vice President of Ecovention, LLC.

Telepizza, a pizza chain that has been in operation since 1987, has over 1025 locations worldwide. The first Telepizza was located in Madrid, and has since spread throughout Spain, Portugal, Chile, and Central America. Recently, Telepizza has arrived in United Arab Emirates and Colombia.

SigmaQ, headquartered in San Salvador, El Salvador, consists of 12 production plants dedicated to industrial and luxury packaging. The company also has 7 business and sales offices in Mexico, the Caribbean and South America. The current CEO, Henry Yarhi, leads SigmaQ with a humanitarian and global vision.