Food Containers and Cleaning Products for Eco-friendly Businesses

Eco-friendly Business. TreeVive by EcoChoice palm leaf deli tray, via webstaurantstore.com

If you want to market yourself as an eco-friendly business, choosing sustainable materials, finishes and furniture during the interior design process is not enough. Especially when it comes to a restaurant business, using environmentally friendly food containers is not only good for the planet, but also for your brand.

When trying to become an eco-friendly business, do not forget the daily tasks such as cleaning, and how to make those more aligned to your goal. It is not only that by using natural cleaning products, your employees are going to enjoy a better workplace, but this can actually become part of your marketing strategy and attract health-conscious clients.

Here are a few ideas on how to remain as eco-friendly as possible when you are part of the food service industry.

Plates and Trays

The alternatives to foam or plastic are not only better for the customers and the environment, but they have an aesthetic appeal that you should not underestimate. Take these biodegradable palm leaf plates, made of naturally fallen palm leaves. They have a beauty and elegance that their plastic counterparts are lacking, a texture and details that are unique to each piece and, finally, a history. In addition, they are very sturdy, so that you don’t have to sacrifice on quality.

TreeVive by EcoChoice square palm leaf plate, via webstaurantstore.com

For an elegant catering event, use these disposable wooden serving cones. They provide a beautiful background for your food, are unexpected and ingenious, and can easily be used when on the move. Add to that the fact that they simplify the clean-up process, and you have a winner.

Tablecraft mini wooden serving cone, via webstaurantstore.com

Takeout Containers

The traditional foam container is not attractive to the environmentally minded customer, nor does it spell “excellent service” or “eco-friendly business.” By contrast, this container made of bagasse, a compostable sugarcane fiber that biodegrades fast (in as little as three months) gives you the same function with more appeal for the eco-friendly crowd.

EcoChoice takeout container, via webstaurantstore.com

Sugarcane, palm leaf, cornstarch, bamboo, cardboard and paper are some of the materials that the American and British Picknwood company uses to make their food packaging products. Their collection is impressive – from bamboo tasting spoons to wooden lunchboxes and from paper straws to paper buckets. In addition, they offer products with patterns and prints, in case you are not a fan of the natural look.

Newspaper print mini slider box from Picknwood

Cleaning Products

When it comes to cleaning products, the rule of thumb is simple: for every commercial chemical cleaning product you think you need for your business, there is a healthier, sustainable alternative. Chemical cleaning products are fast, efficient, available and convenient, but the price paid for this convenience is pretty high. The chemicals from these cleaners find their way from the drain to the nearby streams, polluting the environment and creating health concern. They contribute to health problems such as hormone disruptions, damages to the nervous system, respiratory irritation, and even cancer.

Seventh Generation shower and bathroom cleaners

Going back to vinegar, borax, liquid castile soap, lemon juice and baking soda is a simpler and safer way to clean your space. However, in case you prefer the convenience of a ready-to-use product, you can find natural, non-toxic and biodegradable alternatives, from general cleaners to drain openers and from dish detergent to window cleaners. Earth Friendly, Cal Ben and Seventh Generations are just two of the brands that offer green cleaning products you may want to try.

 Earth Friendly Window Cleaner

Please take a look at our Before and After images of selected projects from 2018 HERE.

If you are thinking to open up a new business or in a process of rebranding and remodeling your existing business, contact us to get a free consultation from Mindful Design Consulting. Click HERE to price your project design.

Also, take a look at “Branding By Interior” e-book, the only book written on this subject at this time. It brings insight on how you can turn your business into a market-dominating competitor by using human cognitive responses