Green Options

Editor’s Note: Carrotmob is a form of consumer activism that invites businesses to compete in order to win a mob of customers. But everyone wins, because the extra money the winner makes goes toward things like improving their energy efficiency. Usually the business who promises the largest percentage of revenue from the event wins, but this Carrotmob was done a little differently. Each contestant explained what they’d do if they won, and what they were currently doing around sustainability, and the general public voted, actually choosing the one who had already shown the greatest commitment to sustainability. Epicenter wanted to get some feedback from the public around what type of to-go containers to use.

What is the most sustainable type of take-out packaging?

Ah yes, the burning question that keeps many an environmentalist tossing and turning well into the night. On the one hand, PLA, aka “polylactic acid” comes from plants, not petroleum, so it must be good, right? But which plants does it come from? And what part of the plant? Is it waste being upcycled? Is it replacing food crops? It must be good, right, it’s not petroleum!?

Epicenter Café, being a very conscientious Carrotmob winner, wants to be sure they make the right choice. They also want your input, sage readers. So I present to you the options, because even the Green Café Network does not take an official stance on this ever-evolving topic. There is an increasing array of options for eco to-go containers.

PLA stands for polylactic acid, which is a biodegradable polyester fiber made from renewable resources like corn starch or sugar cane.  The amazing PLA fiber is used to make everything from food packaging to batting. This relatively inexpensive fiber is a great eco-alternative in the craft world for conventional polyester fiber fill.

Although PLA fibers are biodegradable, it is important to note you can’t just toss them to the side of the road or put them in a land fill.  The FAQ site for Ingeo™, the trademark name for PLA made by NatureWorks LLC, states the PLA products can be physically recycled, industrially composted, incinerated, or chemically converted back to lactic acid through hydrolis.  Ingeo™ is actually classified as compostable rather than biodegradable in the US.