Packaging guide aims to make dining out more eco-friendly with green food jars

Do you ever consider how much fast food packaging you use in a day? You no doubt grab your morning brew before heading to work, probably eat leftover Chinese food for lunch (more than you’d care to share) and have been capping out the evening lately with a to-die-for dessert to-go. Fast food packaging is a staple in the industry, one that consumers heavily rely on every day. Yet, the echoing call for greener packaging grows louder and louder. Pick up some tips on how to provide consumers with food jars and to-go containers that are better for the environment.

The green guide
Greening Fast Food Packaging: A Roadmap to Best Practices beautifully describes sustainability as “a new corporate imperative,” that’s true, an imperative that needs to be addressed immediately. And Dogwood Alliance started us out on the right foot when they released their own packaging report, a “stepwise guide for improvement in the fast food industry,” as they put it, in an effort to encourage and prepare all packagers for a greener world.

The guide is built to be a road map (just as the title entails) for companies interested in actually getting down and dirty for the good of the earth in terms of using food jars and other fast food packaging. It’s not for those merely concerned with cloaking their company in a fake “greenwashing” haze in hopes of gaining profits for overcharged merchandise.

The first section of the multi-tiered report consists of pointers about choosing packaging options such as food jars, cups and cartons for green fast food newbies. Though most fast food packaging is paper-based (contributing to deforestation which often results in air and water quality issues), here are some highlights plastic and glass users should be aware of as well.  

Reduce Overall Packaging
You’ve heard the adage; “less is more,” this statement has never been truer for the packaging industry. Less packaging isn’t only encouraged by Dogwood Alliance, it’s on trend. As Mugatu in Zoolander would say, “it’s so hot right now!” Reduction in this case converts to benefits – less plastic or glass needed to create food jars, less materials end up in landfills and more money goes into your pocket.  
Increase the Use of Recycled Fiber/Plastic
Recycling is always good. In terms of fast food packaging it’s about recycled fiber, but the same challenge can be presented to glass and plastic packaging. Glass is always recyclable and the use of Post-Consumer Resin (PCR) is on the rise.If the eco-friendly resin is fully embraced by sustainable businesses PCR-based food jars could become the norm before you know it.

The report reminds packagers that if changes like these are to occur, we need to interact and consult with our consumers. Remind your customers to recycle food jars or other types of packaging instead of discarding them. This can be done through a message on your print or label. Our green thumbed experts at CPS Design can help you out with that.

Terms like “sustainability” and “carbon footprint” may seem overbearing in growing eco-friendly industries, but every little bit counts and you’ll find your bearings, step-by-step. Download Greening Fast Food Packaging: A Roadmap to Best Practices for additional insights and while you’re at it, browse our glass food jars and PCR collections. Start greening up your packaging today!  

What’s the first eco-friendly move you’d like to see fast food restaurants take? Post a comment.