If you've ever shared a space with a student (or been one) it will probably come as little surprise to you to hear that pizza boxes make up a disproportionately large part of the UK's total landfill.
Without getting into the issue of our reliance on cheap fast food for now, the problem is that there's not much you can do with an old pizza container, beyond making a 'theft-proof' laptop bag that will incur some odd looks on your journey to work, or using them for target practice. And this is where a new invention called the Green Box really comes into its own.
Read on over the jump to find out more about greening up your takeaway
Paul Ridden writes: It is exactly because of its huge popularity that pizza boxes often end up as part of the UK's landscape of detritus. According to DEFRA, the UK threw away over 10 million tonnes of packaging waste in 2008. The waste problem appears to be getting better thanks to valiant recycling efforts of local councils and the public alike, and manufacturers overhauling wasteful packaging needs but there is clearly still a huge problem. So how can the humble pizza box improve its green credentials?
Unsurprisingly, an answer can be found across the pond, where pizza is consumed in event bigger quantities. A waste-reduction organisation called Environmentally Conscious Organization Inc is about to deliver it's first batch of 'Green Boxes' to eagerly awaiting pizza makers in the US. The box is made from 100% recycled materials, it can be fully recycled and its unique design offers a whole new experience for the pizza lover. Thanks to an ingenious redesign utilising some clever perforations, within seconds the lid breaks down into serving plates and the body can be turned into a smaller storage container (assuming that you haven't scoffed down the whole pie) which takes a fraction of the fridge space. Once you've cleaned off the gunk left over from your meal, the box is 100% recyclable.
So, not only does the pizza lover benefit from a whole new feeling of green-ness but also from a uniquely functional serving and storage solution which collapses down for easy disposal. And pizza makers benefit from an environmentally-friendly product which won't cost them any more than they would pay for earth-unfriendly boxes. It's win - win!
You can see the 'Green Box' in action on YouTube -- and like me you'll probably be envious that you didn't think of this first!
More information on the product and, for pizza makers, details of how to get samples is readily available from ECO Inc (http://www.ecoincorporated.com/)
Local councils could also benefit from contact with the company, who can help dispel many of the myths surrounding the recyclability of pizza boxes.
You can't recycle cardboard with grease stains on it...
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That's true. I wonder if anyone has come up with a good solution. I go through a lot of pizza boxes.