Who is Eco-Products? Innovation

This year, Eco-Products turned 30! What started in a garage as a local distributor of recycled products has grown into a mission-driven, international, foodservice packaging brand. As we reflect on where we’ve come from and where we are going, we thought it would be a good opportunity to review what we’re all about. So over the next several weeks we want to remind y’all of what sets us apart.

Today, let’s take a closer look at the Innovation section of our value proposition.

Doing things the same old way just isn’t our style. That’s why we push a holistic, systems-based approach through our product development, our communication tools, and the experts we hire to help our customers navigate sustainability in the land of foodservice packaging.

Bundle A one-stop shop assortment with 450+ SKUs Third-party certifications back up environmental claims	INNOVATION Award-winning product design team Cutting edge product development Operator Specialists A System Solution for waste diversion
Advocacy Thought leaders of Zero Waste Systems Leading industry efforts to increase composting & recycling Dedicated sustainability expert on staff	Services Marketing and communication services Custom life cycle analysis reports Product customization Zero Waste consulting

Product Development

Our highly-decorated product development team continually challenges the status quo of foodservices packaging. They carefully consider both form and function to create truly original product ideas that solve foodservice problems.

Operator Specialists

We measure our success by the amount of packaging and food waste diverted from landfills as much as by total cups sold. To that end, we have created our regional Operator Specialist team who work with operators, haulers, and composters to create meaningful Zero Waste success stories. Operator Specialist duties include:

• Keeping up to speed on local legislation, policy, and composting infrastructure.
• Supporting broker and distributor reps with any key operator opportunities.
• Gatekeeping database and analytics specific to our network of composters and haulers in their marketplace.
• Assisting in the advancement of waste-diverting operators by offering both marketing and training support.
• And most importantly, building relationships with composters and haulers in their regions.

A Systems Solution for Waste Diversion

Eco-Products advocates a Systems Solution to waste diversion. If you control what goes in, you can control what goes out. To achieve high diversion rates, compost or recycle at least 90% of materials, front-of-house compost collection is necessary. If procurement buys only compostable packaging:

• It is easier for guests to put the right stuff in the right bin (i.e., they don’t have to separate the half-eaten burger from the plate).
• The facility can service and clean the building more quickly due to less sorting required (i.e., all packaging goes in the compost bin).
• Haulers can trust that contamination will be minimized and they will be able to easily spot what contamination exists.
• Composters can easily identify compostable products they trust, will know that contamination will be minimized, and will receive more food scraps that come along with the packaging.

Take-away: Eco-Products innovates through our approach, the products we sell, and the services we provide.

Next up: “Advocacy” isn’t just a buzzword, it’s baked into who we are.

Let’s make it better.