It’s been an incredible year for Ecovention. Mentions of the GreenBox have been ever-present, from talk shows to radio shows, from blogs to beyond. It’s thrilling, humbling, and everything we ever wanted. But through it all… we can’t help but think of Will. Three years ago this November, we lost our beloved co-founder & GreenBox creator, William Walsh. He was a passionate leader, a caring father, and a forever friend; he was a human being we were lucky to know. His genius was contagious. His smile and wit lit up the room. He was a man with soul, an unwavering spirit, and an unforgettable presence.
The world just hasn’t been the same. We’re missing him always. But the truth is, he hasn’t left us. With every moment of success & happiness, we feel him. We heard him cheering us on when the GreenBox made headlines in The Huffington Post. We felt his hugs & high-fives when we were featured on segments of The Chew, Rachael Ray & MSNBC. We saw his soulful eyes light up with pride when the GreenBox made waves in Buzzfeed & The LA Times. He’s here, every step of the way, pushing us forward toward his dreams – and ours.
So today, we want to thank him. For the invention he brought to life, for the way he’s changing the world, and for the lives he has touched. He always wanted to make a difference… and we’re immensely proud to be a part of his vision, realized. This is only the beginning.
We’re a small company with big dreams. And we’re spreading like wildfire.
It all started with Vine. GreenBox’s video was the featured video of the day, and in just 10 hours, had over 10,000 likes, 2,500 comments, and almost 3,000 shares. Today, those numbers have doubled.
But that’s not all. The GreenBox made an appearance on ABC’s The Chew, Today.com & CBS’ The Rachael Ray Show. Within the past two weeks, we’ve increased our Facebook likes by almost 40%, while our YouTube video has over 2 million hits. We’ve gotten calls from pizzerias across the world – from Australia to South America, all the way to France and beyond. It’s been remarkable, and humbling.
It’s quite possible that our product is, in fact, “changing the world one pizza box at a time.” And to think…it all started with a college kid’s creative mind & larger than life dreams.
Looking forward to what’s to come, and we can’t wait to have you along for the ride.
Hi, all. We thought we would give our faithful readers a heads-up that we’re gearing up for an exciting industry event this month, the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, NV! The show kicks off on Tuesday, March 25th and runs through Thursday, March 27th and the Greenbox will be prominently displayed at the Roma Foods booth #1127 (pretty high-class company, huh?).
If you can attend the show, please do so – the GreenBox crew would love to meet you. Otherwise, stick close to this blog for the latest updates... I’ll be live-blogging and Tweeting the show as it happen. Get on board now and be sure to befriend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
One final teaser: stay tuned for our nex blog in which we will provide an amazing synopsis of the plethora of TV coverage the Greenbox has received... The GreenBox is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Rachael Ray and Mario Batali... Not bad for a little pizza box.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and fellow billionaire T. Boone Pickens visited City Hall Park last month to unveil Neapolitan Express, the first ever food truck completely powered by compressed natural gas. As T. Boone Pickens looked on, the Mayor, who proclaimed Neapolitan Express pizza to be "good pizza," used a plate made from the GreenBox pizza box to eat his slice.
Check out articles about truck's unveiling from CBS and the Daily News! Congratulations to Max Crespo, founder of Neapolitan Express.
QR Codes.You’ve seen them… those odd-looking, square symbols with pixelated,
black-and-white designs. They are not a new technology but with the recent
proliferation of smartphones and free scanning aps, they are becoming
increasingly ubiquitous and an important resource for customers to access
information.
In fact, according to a study completed by comScore
in December 2011, 20.1 million mobile phone owners in the U.S. used their
device to scan a QR code in the three-month average period ending October 2011. What’s more, as the use of smartphones
and public awareness about QR codes increases their use in day-to-day lives is,
not surprisingly, expected to grow exponentially.
For pizza operators looking to amp up their marketing
efforts there are opportunities to exploit QR codes. Take pizza boxes. Any pizza operator that uses a custom
pizza box knows that printing plates can be be expensive. What’s more, even
minor artwork revisions such as the addition of a new location will result in
the need to purchase an entirely new printing plate. With the addition of QR codes to one’s pizza box, pizza
operators need only worry about including “static” information in their
artwork. QR codes can be used to
point to information that might change, such as pizzeria locations, menu items,
promotions and ingredients.
Pizza operators should also consider incorporating QR codes
into printed marketing materials like brochures, menus and placemats, with
links to such items as online ordering, phone numbers and coupons. QR codes can
also give customers quick and easy access to a pizzeria’s website as well as
social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Beyond the ease of response to marketing actions that QR
Codes bring, what makes them a marketing dream for Pizza operators? First and foremost, they are free. There is a plethora of websites
nowadays that produce QR codes for URLs quickly, easily and at no cost (the following sites to name just a few: http://goqr.me/, http://www.qrstuff.com/, http://delivr.com/qr-code-generator, http://kimtag.com/). Second, QR codes are green. By keeping only static items on brochures, pizza operators can
worry less about the obsolescence of printed information and distribute their
printed materials for longer periods of time, thereby reducing both the need for
reprints and the amount of wastage (i.e. paper, ink, and solvents) created because of outdated information.
At Ecovention, we now recommend the use of QR codes to all new customers adopting GreenBox packaging.
Take, Pizza Consegna, for example, one of the Hyatt Regency's pizza
concepts. QR codes, pointing to
the pizzeria's website, are printed in multiple locations on the pizzeria’s
custom GreenBox Pizza Box.
So, pizza operators, get on board with QR codes. They are cheap, green, create an
opportunity for meaningful communication with customers and, most importantly,
bring your marketing campaigns into the 21st century!
Chef Ed of Pizza by Certe on WPIX11 Discussing the GreenBox and Preparing Breakfast Pizza
On E56th St. in New York City, just off of the food wasteland that is Park Avenue sits a hidden little gem that is deserving of attention: Pizza by Certe, a 3-Star Green Restaurant Certified pizzeria opened by Chef Edward Sylvia almost two years ago to this day. When we first we met Mr. Sylvia, or Chef Ed as he is more affectionately known, he already had a successful eatery/catering company under his belt in restaurant Certe (located on E55th between 5th & 6th). But, Chef Ed had a dream – the genesis of which was the time he spent as a teen on a farm in Southern Illinois. That dream was to open a sustainable pizzeria that used locally sourced ingredients.
To that end, Chef Ed created Pizza by Certe, the first LEED Gold pizza parlor, with recycled walls, millwork from wheat, and recycled bottle countertops. Chef Ed uses utensils and paper goods that are biodegradable, drinking cups and containers made from resin derived entirely from plants and (most notably!) our 100% recycled, multifunctional GreenBox pizza box. And Chef Ed even goes a step further by composting all food waste, making all deliveries by foot or hybrid truck and using rainwater for non-consumption purposes.
And then there’s the food… Non-bromated flour. That’s step one: Chef Ed sticks with the non-bromated stuff given that potassium bromate has been banned in Europe, Canada, and Japan and flagged in California as a suspected carcinogen. No cans. That’s step two: Chef Ed’s sauce is made purely from fresh tomatoes. Fresh cheese. That’s step three: Chef Ed uses fresh whole milk mozzarella from local cheese makers, fresh hand-dipped Ricotta, and American grana that he grates fresh for every order. Fresh toppings. That's step four (and les pieces de resistance): Chef Ed uses toppings sourced locally where possible, as evidenced by the fresh basil he uses from the “green” wall in his restaurant.
A small tasting of Chef Ed’s many unique specialty pizza options will make anyone a believer in using fresh, local ingredients: The “Shrooms,” covered with roasted wild mushrooms, porcini bechamel and thyme, is absolute heaven. The “Buffalo Artichoke,” with buffalo roasted artichoke, farmers blue cheese and celery hearts, is outrageously good. The “Farmer’s Slice,” with long island potato, sharp amish cheddar, shaved corn and scallions, is pure brilliance. The “Italian Wedding,” topped with juicy, light meatballs; spinach, grana cheese, fresh mozzarella and hot pepper, is just plain divine. Chef Ed’s breakfast pizza, which he prepares in our WPIX11 video clip (paying homage to the GreenBox in the process!) is one of our personal faves, but then again, so are all of them. We could go on, but you get the picture.
So next time you find yourself in Midtown East and (therefore) in culinary despair, drop into Pizza by Certe. And say hello to Chef Ed from the folks at GreenBoxNY!
Telepizza, a chain operating in Central America, has launched a commercial featuring our one-of-a-kind redesign of the traditional pizza box.
The 56-second ad describes our product perfectly, and we couldn't be prouder! The message? Now that Telepizza is utilizing GreenBox technology, the best choice has been made for the environment and our beautiful planet as a whole. Made from recycled materials, Telepizza's new box is perfect for sharing a delicious pizza with your friends (that is, if you don't want it all to yourself!) as it can be broken down into 4 plates and a storage unit for your leftovers.
There's nothing better than chowing down on your favorite pizza and helping the environment while you're at it. Take a minute and check out Telepizza's commercial here, and let us know what you think! MMM, delicioso!
Don’t worry…we didn’t forget about you! So much has happened over the last few weeks that we’ve been running around like crazy (in a good way!). If you didn’t have a chance to read our last update, Las Vegas’ annual International Pizza Expo was rapidly approaching, and we were getting psyched to show off the GreenBox at the largest pizza show in the world.
This past Friday, Jen and Ned got back from the 3-day event full of smiles. The excitement surrounding the GreenBox and Roma Food’s private label version of the box, the Roma Serve & Store, was overwhelming. Wanna hear the best part? The folks from Yahoo! heard about our ground-breaking pizza box, and came over to our booth for more info. They loved it so much that they decided to film a demonstration of our product for an upcoming online show. So, keep checking our blog for a link to the GreenBox feature!
While Ecovention has been attending the international Pizza Expo for three years in a row, this time around was a bit different. We must admit… things weren’t the same without Will’s never-ending enthusiasm and unmatchable charm. Will, you are infinitely missed, but we know that we made you proud. The GreenBox is changing lives because of you!
Thank you, everyone, for following our blog and staying updated on all the amazing things happening at Ecovention. Stay tuned…it’s only the beginning!
We’re counting down! Here at Ecovention, everyone’s getting excited about the upcoming International Pizza Expo. With three whole days in sunny Las Vegas among some of the industry’s best, who wouldn’t be? This year, the show kicks off on March 13 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and for 3 days, we will be eating, breathing, and sleeping… you guessed it… pizza.
Like last year, we will be demonstrating Roma Food's private-labeled "Roma Serve N Store" pizza box (which, like our brilliant GreenBox, turns into plates and a storage container for leftovers). We'll also be showing off our brand new SliceBox product, an awesome new design that's sturdy, functional and, best of all, green. You can find us at the Roma/Performance Foodservice booth (#1035 to be exact); be sure stop by and say hello - we'd love your company! And, hey, enjoy some pizza, compliments of Roma, and a GreenBox demo while you're at it! Not planning to make the trip? You snooze you lose! Just kidding. Just keep your eyes on ourTwitter feedfor live updates from the show!
If you have absolutely no idea what we’re even talking about, that’s okay. We’re here to help. The International Pizza Expo is the largest pizza show in the world… basically, it’s THE place to be if you’re in the pizza industry. It’s an incredible opportunity for pizzeria owners, inventors (like us!), distributors, and others to network and bounce ideas off one another. The expo isn’t just for chit-chatting, though. There will be a ton of demonstrations, games, interesting speakers, and a bunch of competitions. It’s like field day, but for big kids (who love pizza).
Now that we’ve gotten you pumped up about the event, we hope to see your smiling faces checking out our GreenBox products at the Roma booth. You can’t miss us…we’re the ones with the pizza industry’s Next Big Thing.
FounderDoug 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.
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.
It’s that time of year again. Twinkling white lights line
the doorways, gifts are being wrapped in a hurry, and the fresh smell of pine
fills the air. And of course, the holiday season wouldn’t be the same without
one thing: a Christmas tree.
But
as Americans are becoming more environmentally conscious, people are having a
hard time choosing between buying a fake tree or cutting down a real one. And
while many consumers think they’re “going green” by getting this year’s tree at
a big box retailer, they might want to think again. According to National Geographic, your plastic tree isn’t all that environmentally friendly
after all. The New York Times reports
that “The annual carbon emissions associated with using a real tree every year
were just one-third of those created by an artificial tree over a typical
six-year lifespan.”
Think
about it: your newly purchased tree isn’t manufactured in your backyard. In
fact, most are typically shipped all the way from China… a long trip that
results in a ton of greenhouse gas emissions. Some might argue that a fake tree
is better because it lasts longer. But most people reuse theirs only 4 or 5
years in a row…and then it goes to the dump where it sits for centuries on
end. On the other hand, your pine-needled tree will biodegrade—and will help
prevent erosion and build up shorelines in the process.
So,
instead of putting up a fake tree this year (one that is packaged in a
cardboard box, remember), keep it real and help reduce your carbon footprint.
We don’t need to make drastic changes to help improve the environment---which
is the exact concept behind Ecovention, LLC’s GreenBox: a product that
re-invents the typical pizza box. Just 50 million of these in circulation would save 280,250 trees,
1,041 acres of land, 85,750,000 gallons of water, and 50,225,000 kilowatts of
energy.
Remember:
it’s our planet, and our responsibility.
On November 16, 2011, we at Ecovention lost our friend, business
partner and CEO, William Walsh.
Will was a passionate innovator with creative spirit. His energy and enthusiasm were the
driving force behind our growth.
Will created and patented our flagship product, the
GreenBox, a pizza box that breaks into plates and a storage container (see demo
video here). He never wavered in
his belief that it would become the standard in the pizza industry and we plan
to continue to make that vision a reality.
If you get a moment, Google “William Walsh” and the word “pizza box” and check out the many articles out there about Will and his great
product. You can also view Will’s TV appearances on YouTube.
Build good pizza and they will come… even the U.S.
President. Just ask Chris Sommers
of Pi Pizzeria based in St. Louis
Missouri. That’s just what
happened back in 2008, when Obama was passing through on his campaign
trail. The advance team had
ordered carryout from Pi and when Obama tasted it he proclaimed it to be the
best pizza he’d ever eaten.
Obama talked so much about “that pizza in St. Louis,” in
fact, that when he became President, his assistant, Reggie Love, called in May
2009 and invited the Pi team to the White House to “satiate their cravings” (in
the words of Sommers).
Pi attributes the success of its pizza to the quality of its
ingredients. The restaurant’s thin
crust dough is always vegan and their deep-dish crust pizza is vegan, on
request. Gluten-free crust made
from rice flour tapioca flour, potato starch, egg whites, olive oil, vegetable
oil and water is also on the menu as is vegan cheese and vegan meats.
Pi is also committed to creating ecologically sustainable,
“environmentally benign” restaurants.
90% of the restaurant’s materials, including art, furniture and
flooring, are reclaimed and only 25% of its waste goes to landfill. And Pi was the first restaurant in St. Louis to adopt the 100% recycled multifunctional GreenBox pizza box. Sommers involves his restaurant in
Earth Day too, with a focus on developing a green restaurant division for the
organization.
So what has Sommers been up to since 2008? He opened a Pi restaurant in Washington, D.C., of course! Not to mention three more stores in the
St. Louis area as well as a couple of roaming pizza trucks. He also did some catering recently for the President’s recent campaign
fundraiser in the St. Louis area, a nice by-product of producing quality pizza.
So build good pizza and they will come… Oh, and don’t be
afraid to create some hype about it.
Chris Sommers wasn’t, as evidenced by his multiple television
appearances and press mentions… not to mention his 2008 launch of election win
pizza, the Broccoli O'Bama.
This past weekend I took my very first trip to California’s
Napa Valley. Given my love of wine
and Napa Valley’s reputation as one of the top Viticultural Areas in America, I’m kicking myself for not making that trip a long time ago, but
better late than never I guess.
Napa Valley is beautiful at this time of year - it just the
perfect temperature and there is something so fun about stumbling across a
small boutique winery off the beaten path and discovering a wine that you’ll
never find at retail. And one of
the wonderful things I learned on my many winery visits was just how far
organic wines have come over the past few years (1,200 acres to date the
Napa region alone, in fact).
What does “organic” mean when it comes to wines? It simply means that no chemicals can
be used in the vineyard; no chemical fertilizers, weed killers or insecticides.
The only substance that is permitted for use is elemental sulfur, which is
itself organic and which is used to prevent powdery mildew.
Both organic and local wines represent a neat opportunity for pizza
operators to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Slice pizzeria, for example promotes an
“Organic Wine Pairing Night” at their restaurant in New York. For $35, clients enjoy two glasses of
wine, an appetizer, gourmet pizza entree and dessert. Mobile pizza vendor Beatrice’s Inferno, a user of the
eco-friendly and multifunctional GreenBox
pizza box, is invited many weekends to Galen
Glen Vineyard and Winery in Andreas, PA and Va La Vineyards in Avondale, PA because these winemakers know that pizza and wine together create
great draws from their local communities.
So to pizza operators that haven’t stomped their feet in the
organic and local wine barrels yet - give them a chance. By turning your organic and local wine
pairings into a fun experience as did identical twin owners Slice founders Miki
and Radha Agrawal and Beatrice’s Inferno owner Jason Brown, you can generate
traffic, help your local and organic vineyards and most importantly, bring
something different and more unique to the table than your competitors.
If you’ve ever spent time at college, or even crashed for a weekend in a friend’s dorm, you’ll know that students and pizza go hand in hand. Case in point, one resourceful student at the University of Maine, which has an annual enrollment of just 11,500 students, calculated that over 17,000 pizzas are delivered to Maine campus each month, equating to 25 tons of waste each academic year. Considering there are 2,680 colleges and universities in the US alone, the number of pizza boxes that end up on campuses each month becomes even more staggering.
Such a volume poses a significant challenge for campuses around the country. Regular pizza boxes don’t fit down in school recycling bins and trash chutes and routinely sit for days on end in the dorm rooms of students until they finally find the gumption to figure out a way to dispose of them. In fact, according to a manager of one of University of Pennsylvania’s largest college houses, pizza boxes are the “single biggest attractant of pests,” as reported by the residence’s extermination service.
Such a predicament is one of the many reasons why Pizza Boli’s, a chain whose stores are situated on and near many a college campus, decided to provide an innovative solution. Pizza Boli’s new SmartBox pizza box is perforated and scored, allowing for easy disposal into recycling, compost and trash bins (whichever disposal receptacle is required by the relevant municipalities). What’s more, these perforations and scores allow the SmartBox to be broken down into plates and a storage container, thereby addressing age-old problems experienced by college students of (a) never having plates and (b) never being able to fit the pizza box with leftovers into a dorm room bar fridge.
With eye-catching new graphics, copy that touts the SmartBox as well as an entertaining new commercial, Pizza Boli’s is making sure that its green pizza box technology makes a huge splash with its customers. With future green initiatives on the horizon, Pizza Boli’s even calls out a website page on its new box that will highlight its ongoing efforts on this front.
The message to pizza operators? Look for sustainable solutions that will have a direct positive impact on your community and don’t worry about starting small. Going green does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Every little bit helps when it comes to the environment and small changes by every pizzeria create a big impact overall. Most importantly, don’t be shy when it comes to touting your efforts to go green. Being a ‘green leader’ in your community will pay off in spades in the long term via customer goodwill, loyalty and, ultimately, increased sales.
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 Internationalbased 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 GreenBoxpizza 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.
So a funny thing happened to me the other day. While munching on blueberries one morning, I experienced, quite suddenly, a bitter, metallic and very pervasive taste throughout my entire mouth.
Convinced that my blueberries were the culprits despite their wonderfully fresh appearance, I made the decision to toss them and seek out a pallet cleanser that would quickly eliminate this most unpleasant taste. I theorized that citrus fruit, maybe an orange, would do the trick given their acidity… but that didn’t do a thing to solve the problem. I then figured that crackers might work (they work so perfectly at wine tastings)… but that didn’t solve the problem either.
With my ‘metal mouth’ still 100% present I decided that the cause of my ailment must be far more sinister and infinitely more serious than I previously suspected. My logic in thinking so? A commercial from the 90s that ran through my head… the details were sketchy but I distinctly recall the recounting of a story of a woman tasting burnt toast before seizures…
Being a person of the new millennium, I decided to do next what most responsible people would do under my circumstances – I googled my symptoms. I take that back; I first did an exhaustive search for the burnt toast commercial. For nostalgic reasons, I guess. Here it is for any readers that enjoy tangents, but be warned in advance that the burnt toast lady will be inexplicably emblazoned in your minds forevermore.
Once off my tangent and with a renewed focus on my potentially fatal affliction, I began to grow nervous … Did I have lyme disease? A tumor? Had I contracted a rare mouth disease that would cause my teeth to slowly rot from my head? Whatever the ailment was, I resolved myself to be strong and pondered ways in which I would break my sad news to my family. As I clicked through my Google search results it wasn’t long before I had my diagnosis – and it was weirder and more comical then I could ever have imagined… I had (gasp) Pine Mouth. Apparently, the pine nuts that were in the Eggplant Involtini I had cooked the night before were to blame.
For those of you out there that haven’t heard of Pine Mouth, you might want to pay attention... It’s a bizarre and little known problem that has only cropped up in recent years. Here are the details in a nutshell, no pun intended (I’ve never seen pine nut shells before so this unintentional pun did just lead me to another, decidedly uninteresting, google tangent):
-Over the past two years the FDA has received a number of complaints from consumers about Pine Mouth, a bitter metallic taste associated with pine nuts. The taste begins 12 to 48 hours after consumption and lasts anywhere from a few days to four weeks.
-The FDA continues to review consumer complaints to identify potential causes of Pine Mouth, but findings to date indicate that the problem stems from pine nuts sourced from China. Evidently the skyrocketing price of pine nuts has encouraged Chinese sellers to include non-edible and off-grade (i.e. immature, shriveled, oily, brown centered, rancid, spotted) kernels into the mix.
What does all this mean for pizza operators? With the consumer trend toward organic and locally sourced ingredients growing every day, it might be high time for pizzerias to join the movement. Offering organic and locally sourced ingredients while reducing environmental impact carries benefits for both pizza operators and their customers. It is no surprise that organic and locally sourced ingredients can often cost more, but serving a healthy, premium quality pizza that customers feel good about eating (i.e. one that is devoid of risks like Pine Mouth), will ultimately have a big impact on the top and bottom lines of pizza operators.
The key to making such a strategy successful? Charge a little more for your healthy, premium quality pizza, inform customers which ingredients have been sourced locally, find substitutes for ingredients that are too pricy (case-in-point), shop around and, most importantly, hold the pine nuts!
John J. Doherty, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation
Given the age-old debate about the recyclability of pizza boxes, the title of my blog this week might peak the attention (and criticism) of just a few of my 'za- and earth-loving friends out there. I'm hoping so, of course, because what's a blog without some extreme opinions and lively debate? But, before my compatriots jump to the comments section to refute too quickly... I'll acquiesce a little. My title is true only sometimes. Here is the truth:
There is no universal answer to the question as to whether pizza boxes are recyclable.
Put simply, in some municipalities pizza boxes are recyclable; in others, they are not. Many bloggers out there have tried to clear up this longstanding debate. They have failed miserably, however, by making blanket statements on the subject that supposedly apply to every single municipality in the country. This is irresponsible, in my opinion, given the simple statement I note above (i.e. that there is no single correct answer). To prove this point, I took a few minutes to find out more about the different recycling policies of various municipalities. Here is what I learned:
New York City:Recycle it. John J. Doherty, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation put it best: "Don't worry about it! Into the recycling bin...and it goes back through the process and out as a new pizza box!"
San Francisco:Compost it. Through its three-cart program (black cart for landfill items, blue cart for recycling items and green cart for compostable items), pizza boxes are placed in the green cart then turned into organic compost for farming.
Philadelphia:Toss it. There's no love for pizza boxes here. According to the city's website, pizza boxes are not recyclable and end up in landfill with the regular trash.
So there you have it. Three cities with three different recycling practices for pizza boxes. What's the moral here? It is the responsibility of all pizza operators to educate their customers about the acceptable recycling practices of their communities. Don't take the easy way out and listen to the weberalities (my new term for web generalities)... get the facts!
What's your city's policy regarding the recycling of pizza box? Leave your comment below.
Since I've been interning at ECOvention, LLC, my eyes are opening to a lot more when it comes to sustainability and recycling. For example, I never really took notice to the fact that my mother would save the soda cans we use, instead of just throwing them away in the trash. Throwing them away was what I would always do... My mother would constantly tell me to put the cans and, for that matter, the plastic and glass bottles, in a special recycling bag.
Now, without my mother even having to remind me, I unconsciously just do it. I asked my mother the other day when it is that she actually brings the bottles and cans we collect to the recycling machine. I know that you can redeem money from the cans and bottles that are inserted. I learned that she saves them for others that are already collecting them. Usually around the neighborhood where I live, the people who collect them push carts with bags full of cans and bottles that they are going to recycle. For some, it is something they do on the side as a hobby; for others, it is their nine to five.
Not to long ago I read an article about can and bottle collecting. At the end of the article there was a chart that told you how many cans one would have to collect for a certain item or opportunity, as well as the amount of money one could make and the time it would take to do so. I thought it was interesting to learn that it would take 880,000 cans to pay for one year at Brooklyn Law School. The amount made from the cans and bottles on average would be $44,000 and it would take three hundred and thirty nine days to do so.
After reading this article, I felt that my mother was doing more than recycling but helping others as well. Sustainability and recycling to me now is more than just helping the planet. It begins with helping others who are willing to help the planet as well. I sort of see it as a cycle. By helping society, we can, in a way, help the planet. I am glad that my mother has gotten me into the habit of recycling. After saving the cans and bottles in that special recycling bag we have at home, I feel good, especially knowing that I am contributing to something that is great.
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