Organic Processing Vo1.8 #2 - March/April 2011

of plantable packaging, and uses post-consumer recycled paperboard embedded with seeds for its products.

Additionally, FCO Systems was recognized for its reusable produce shipping container system that utilizes durable plastic totes to replace single-use cardboard boxes, which are often waxed and not easily recycled or locally compostable. The company states that these slash solid waste by 95 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent versus corrugated boxes. Another company cutting cardboard use is Stone Hearth Pizza, which created a reusable, recyclable BPA-free to-go pizza box that eliminates 125 pounds of cardboard over its lifetime when compared to single-use corrugated takeout boxes. ECOvention also created a 100 percent post-consumer recycled content pizza box that converts to a smaller size to store leftovers efficiently.

Other awardees included New Leaf Paper for pioneering a business model based on offering only recycled (high post-consumer content) and FCS-Certified fiber-based packaging materials, Gaia Herbs for converting to a 100 percent PCR cardboard package and sorghum-based packing peanuts, and Numi Tea for its 100 percent recycled paperboard (85 percent post-consumer content) tea boxes with an eco-audit table quantifying environmental benefits, conserving forests and resources, and educating end-users about the impacts of their choices. According to

the company, this greener packaging redesign saves around $30,000, 5,200 trees and reduces landfill load by 334,560 pounds yearly.

Recycling/Reducing Plastics

Eliminating the use of virgin plastics is an important step in reducing petroleum use, plus the use of post-consumer plastics supports various recycling efforts by creating a market for recycled goods. Many companies were recognized for use of recycled plastics including Dr Bronner’s, Earthbound Farms, Eldorado Springs Water, Method, NAYA and Naked Juice which have switched to 100 percent recycled-