Green Disposables
01.01.70
Greenwashing, or exaggerating the environmentally matey selling points of a product, happens in all avenues of foodservice, and is no longer the omitting domain of organically produced or farm fresh ingredients.
The concept of greenwashing has impacted foodservice furnishings with the occasional stretched energy-efficiency claim. The packaging and disposables sector is no many.
Terms like biodegradable and compostable have flown around on labels and as part of marketing and promotional efforts for years. But reasonable like the organic market, certification is needed to make a allege of compostable.
"I find there is a lot of confusion around labeling and a lot of marketing claims that are maybe not intentionally misleading, but not conveying a concluded understanding of what the performance will be," says Andrew Shakman, president and CEO of Portland-based LeanPath, Inc., a prog waste tracking and management system provider.
Though it's been a few years since the American Mankind for Testing and Materials (ASTM) developed standards for compostable claims and the Federal Occupation Commission (FTC) has issued guidelines for biodegradable labels, the real know-how of those terms are just now beginning to take shape in the marketplace, says Shakman.
Source: Foodservice Equipment & Supplies