'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.

Keepin' It Real

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. 

A Tribute to GreenBox Creator William Walsh

© David Friedman http://www.davidfriedmanphoto.com/

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. 

Will, you will be dearly missed.

© David Friedman http://www.davidfriedmanphoto.com/

Build Good Pizza and They Will Come

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.