Restaurant Supply Store
The Positive Impact Of Eco-Friendly Consumables
The Positive Impact of
Eco-Friendly Consumables
With the world facing a major climate crisis, it has never been more important for businesses to consider the environmental impact of their operations. Switching to more eco-friendly catering supplies is vital for protecting the planet, but it could also help your business to benefit in other ways too. Let's take a look at the positive impacts of using environmentally-friendly consumables.
Minimise environmental impact
The planet's natural resources are being depleted fast due to the high use of unsustainable natural materials. In the food and catering industries, plastic is used frequently when it comes to consumable and single-use products. Plastic is manufactured from crude oil, coal and natural gases, all of which are unsustainable natural resources.
Another problem with plastic is its inability to biodegrade. Polystyrene, another common consumable product used in the catering industry, poses the same problem. Plastic and polystyrene can take thousands of years to degrade when they're dumped in landfill, and as they break down they can release harmful toxins into the environment which can damage the ecosystem and even have a detrimental impact on human health. Although some plastics can be recycled, there isn't enough infrastructure in place to ensure every piece of plastic makes it to a recycling facility. Furthermore, the process of recycling plastics is complex and requires a great deal of energy - energy which is usually produced from unsustainable resources like crude oil, coal and natural gases.
In order to protect the Earth's natural resources, there must be a move towards more sustainable alternatives, such as bamboo, birch wood and sugarcane. These natural materials grow quickly and reliably, meaning that they won't contribute to the depletion of natural resources. Plus, these organic materials biodegrade far more readily than plastic and polystyrene and they do not harm the environment when they break down. They have a much less significant impact on the environment.
Appeal to environmentally conscious consumers
Making your business as eco-friendly as possible is not only great for the environment, but it could be good for profits too. Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their lifestyles and purchases. By promoting your eco-friendly methods, you can help your business stand out from the crowd and attract customers who are being more considerate about their use of consumables. With the environment being such an important topic, consumers are paying more attention than ever before to businesses' dedication to minimising their carbon footprint. By choosing eco-friendly catering supplies, your business can send a clear message that it cares about the environment as much as its customers do.
Recent research into consumer buying habits has discovered that 72% of people are buying more eco-friendly products than they were five years ago. 81% expect to increase their purchases of eco-friendly products over the next five years. For businesses in the food and hospitality industries, the use of eco-friendly catering supplies and consumables is incredibly appealing to environmentally conscious consumers. It means that when they choose your business over less eco-friendly options, they have peace of mind that they're minimising their impact on the environment.
Give your business a unique aesthetic
Lots of eco-friendly catering supplies made from natural materials have a very unique aesthetic. Birchwood cutlery, palm leaf bowls and sugarcane packaging all look and feel natural, rustic and more luxurious than plastic and polystyrene. You can easily give your business a classy and stylish edge when you switch to more sustainable consumables made from natural materials.
The appearance of eco-friendly catering supplies is also a quick and simple way to demonstrate to customers that you're using sustainable business practises. When consumers are served their food in a palm leaf tray instead of a polystyrene one, they will see right away that your business cares about the planet and is doing its part to minimise its environmental impact. The look of your consumables goes a long way in reflecting your brand, and with eco-friendly options, you immediately position yourself as a sustainable brand.
What types of eco-friendly consumables are available?
We have a huge variety of sustainable catering supplies and consumables available, and carry products from eco-friendly manufacturers such as Fiesta Green. Fiesta Green products are cost-effective and eco-friendly so that your move towards more sustainable practises doesn't have to be expensive.
Within the range of Fiesta Green products is a variety of single-use food packaging and serving solutions, such as disposable boxes, trays, bowls, plates and cutlery. Palm leaf is a popular material for these products because it decomposes incredibly quickly, and it grows at a rapid enough rate that it can be sustainably produced. Sugarcane is another common material used that takes just 60 days to fully decompose.
Card and paper food packaging products are also available from Fiesta Green, but these have an eco-friendly edge over more traditional alternatives. Most paper cups are lined with a very thin plastic layer on the inside in order to make them fully waterproof and prevent leaks, but this layer takes a long time to break down. Fiesta Green paper cups are instead lined with PLA - polylactic acid - which is derived from plant-based and sustainable sources like sugar cane and corn starch. This means that it breaks down far more readily and without damaging the ecosystem. The brand also supplies fully PLA cups for cold beverages and lids for hot beverage paper cups, which offer the rigid, sturdy properties of plastic while being fully biodegradable.
There are plenty of other biodegradable and sustainable Fiesta Green products to choose from too, such as plant-based or paper straws, wooden cutlery, bamboo tongs, paper carrier bags, PLA containers, and compostable bagasse serving dishes which are produced from waste sugarcane. You can also check out our full range of consumable catering and restaurant products now to discover even more eco-friendly catering supplies to help your business minimise its environmental impact.
