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After a 16-month pilot, the Baja Fresh Mexican Grill is using more eco-friendly plates, burrito and taco wrappers and takeout bags in the 255 restaurants it operates or franchises.
The switch to more environmentally responsible restaurant supplies is part of the company's "Earth Fresh" initiative, which began in December 2009 with testing of the products in eight California restaurants. The 21-year-old chain, which serves "fast-casual" Mexican food with entrees emphasizing fresh meat and vegetables, is based in Cypress, Calif.
The company said this week that the new supplies were in all facilities by March 15. The plates are made from a byproduct of wheat harvests, certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute and are designed to disintegrate quickly at professionally managed composting facilities, according to Baja Fresh Senior Marketing Director Jerry DeLucia.
The wrapping paper for food items is unbleached and made from 100 percent recycled material. The company estimates that using the unbleached product instead of bleached paper contributes to a 46 percent reduction in wastewater, a 21 percent drop in wood pulp use, 16 percent less solid waste and a 10 percent cut in greenhouse gas production.
The paper bags used in the restaurants are also made from unbleached material and contain a minimum of 70 percent postconsumer material, and the plastic bags used for to-go orders are made with at least 50 percent recycled material, DeLucia said. Both types of bags are recyclable and the ink used on them is water based.
Next Page: Other items on Baja Fresh's green to-do list.
Just wanted to throw in the
Just wanted to throw in the words from a real life industrial composter. It is nice to see companies using compostable packaging to help the Earth and their marketing programs go green; however, this is not the truth. The question is: What is the point of using compostable packaging if it all goes to the landfill? There is none! Yes compostable packaging is better for the environment because it is made from recycled materials and or materials not dependent on petroleum; however, if these compostable products just go to the landfill anyway then they are not helping the environment. Companies, such as Baja Fresh, need to go the extra mile and set up programs to get these products to composters who can process them correctly. Once again a "green" marketing tool that is misleading customers and not really that green at all. Using compostable products and sending them to the landfill is not green it is just that same as throwing anything else away.