New Boxes, If Recycled, Will Divert Over 3,500 tons of Waste from Landfills; Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions for NYC Equivalent to Adding 100 Acres of Trees to Central Park
January 23, 2012 – New York City – Global Green USA and its Coalition for Resource Recovery (CoRR) initiative congratulated Allen Harim Foods and Interstate Container today for their pioneering efforts to transform poultry packaging and set an example for all food packaging to be significantly more environmentally responsible. Interstate Container, a founding CoRR member, recently transitioned Allen Harim Foods’ non-recyclable coated corrugated packaging to FBA-certified recyclable coated boxes. If these boxes are recycled, the move will eliminate 11,000 tons of carbon emissions each year by preventing methane-generating paper fiber from entering the landfills, and bringing it back onto the market as valuable commodities.[1]
Allen Harim ships more than 530,000 boxes to New York City each year, many of which pass through the largest food distribution in the world at Hunt’s Point. If all of these coated boxes are recycled, the city will enjoy carbon reductions equivalent to adding 100 acres of trees to Central Park.[2] “This is exactly the kind of leadership we need to reduce New York’s waste stream and carbon footprint,” says Annie White, Director of Global Green USA’s Coalition for Resource Recovery. Lily Kelly, who is spearheading Global Green’s wholesale packaging program added, “Recycling, buying recyclable, and designing for recyclability show good corporate citizenship, and make business sense.”
Every year, 1.36 million tons of coated boxes are landfilled or burned, releasing 4.5 million tons of greenhouse gasses.[3] However, recyclable coatings are commercially available, and competitive with non-recyclable paraffin coatings in both strength and cost. Global Green and members of CoRR have been working since 2008 to help accelerate the development and deployment of recyclable packaging for protein and produce.
Interstate Container worked closely with Allen Harim to ensure that the packaging was robust and fully recyclable. “Interstate Container is proud to have helped Allen Harim make the transition to recyclable boxes possible for all their domestically distributed poultry,” says Jeff Cormier, National Sales Manager. “We operate in a highly competitive market, and providing recyclable packaging helps us stand out in the crowd by bringing additional value to our customers.”
Switching to recyclable boxes was part of a larger effort at Allen Harim to reduce costs. “We were looking for ways to save money, and we found that reducing our waste, including switching to recyclable boxes, was a very effective strategy,” says Tom Miller, Allen Harim’s Chief Operating Officer. The use of Interstate Container’s boxes has reduced both machine maintenance and waste hauling fees. “The box folding machine stays much cleaner, and gets jammed much less frequently,” says Roy Barger, Maintenance Manager with Allen Harim. “We also reduced our facility’s coated corrugated waste stream from 6 bales per day to less than one. And now that waste is recyclable.”
Global Green USA is the American affiliate of Green Cross International, founded by President Gorbachev, to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future. For nearly 20 years, Global Green USA has been a national leader in advocating for smart solutions to global warming including green building for affordable housing, schools, cities and communities that save money, improve health and create green jobs. Global Green’s Coalition for Resource Recovery was founded in 2008 as an industry working group dedicated to generating business value through transforming waste into assets.
For more information, please contact Lily Kelly, Program Associate, Coalition for Resource Recovery, at lkelly@globalgreen.org or 310-581-2700 x127.
Interstate Container is a member of Interstate Resources, Inc.
Sources
[1] Greenhouse gas savings calculated using EPA’s WARM tool. Savings assumes 100% of the boxes and packaging generated are recycled. EPA WARM Tool and Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator were used to calculate potential greenhouse gas savings.
[2] Calculated using EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator
[3] The Fibre Box Association estimates that 5% of OCC is wax coated. Greenhouse gas savings calculated using EPA’s WARM tool. Savings assumes 100% of the boxes and packaging generated are recycled. EPA WARM Tool and Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator were used to calculate potential greenhouse gas savings.
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