Maraline Mazzetti Olson, owner of Screamin Mimi, used to throw out a dozen bags of garbage before starting to use compostable and recyclable products.
Now, the Sebastopol ice cream shop hardly has a bag of garbage at the end of the day.
Fifteen years ago, Olson was ahead of her time when she switched to more environmentally friendly products. She did it because she wanted to do it, not because someone told her to do it.
Today, more and more companies are turning to biodegradable containers and straws because they must do so.
In November 2022, California voters will decide whether to make appliances reusable, recyclable, or compostable statewide, and prohibit the use of single-use plastic packaging and containers.
Polystyrene is a hard plastic that does not decompose. If it breaks, it may enter the soil, waterways and be eaten by wild animals. (Styrofoam is a trademark brand of expanded polystyrene foam.)
"Polystyrene and other non-recyclable plastics are a serious and easily preventable source of marine debris pollution. Many of these products are lightweight and aerodynamic, so even if they are disposed of "properly", they can easily be blown into drains and rain. Drains. They are also very fragile, so when they are thrown away, they quickly break into smaller and smaller pieces, so they cannot be cleaned up," said the Californian Anti-Waste Organization.
The reality is that polystyrene works very well and is much cheaper than alternative products. This may be the reason why North Bay has not generally accepted the desire to eliminate this plastic.
Californians oppose waste and fail to ban Napa or Solano County or any of its cities. Yountville is an exception, where a ban was passed in 1989.
The non-profit organization reported that the small city of Fairfax in Marin County accepted a ban on the use of containers made of polystyrene in 1993. The county and other cities have since joined in.
By this fall, every municipality and unincorporated area in Sonoma County should enact rules to eliminate polystyrene take-away food containers sold in restaurants and grocery stores. This work is led by Sonoma's Zero Waste Management Agency, a government entity in the county and its nine jurisdictions.
Petaluma's Lunchette not only educates customers on why everything uses compostable containers, the restaurant also works with suppliers to bring this issue to the forefront.
This includes insisting that suppliers use compostable "peanuts" packaged goods that will dissolve immediately when they come in contact with water. This is compared to polystyrene which is always intact. Cardboard strips or other paper products are also recommended packaging options for restaurants.
“When we order anything from a supplier, such as a glass drink bottle, we don’t work with them to stop using polystyrene,” explains restaurant owner Naomi Crawford. "We are keeping our suppliers away from polystyrene. The county cannot let outside suppliers do this, so we are."
Since opening in April 2017, compost has been used for lunch.
"Polystyrene is the cheapest material, so when we make a business plan, we include (compostable) in our pricing," Crawford said. "But at the beginning we could not get all the compostable materials we needed, but now we can use all the compostable materials."
A common theme among companies is the need for patience, because the creators of these sustainable products will continue to improve them.
Amy Svendberg, managing partner of Poggio Trattoria in Sausalito, explains: “We use reusable containers to store our takeaway products, and we are also looking for compostable items that are durable and can withstand the heat of pasta.”
She admits that the iterative effect of a compostable take-out container is too good. After adding the hot sauce, it starts to decompose before the food reaches someone's house, which may make the vehicle a mess.
"We are now in the discovery world of these products. We don't yet have compostable dishes that are completely compostable," Swindberg said.
Restaurants provide reusable plastic containers, just like those sold in grocery stores. The soup is placed in a paper cup with a recyclable lid. Poggio Trattoria's goal is to be 100% compostable, but doing so means taking incremental steps.
Il Fornaio owns 19 restaurants, including Corte Madera, and has gradually transitioned to environmentally friendly containers. Since each jurisdiction has a policy, the company will comply with it. Now, environmentally friendly products are found in all its locations.
"We are using compostable or reusable materials to meet county guidelines," said Shantae Riley, the company's purchasing and menu coordinator.
The tableware is compostable, while the take-out container and lid are recyclable. Everything is packed in a paper bag and can also be composted. Riley said that the soft container is plastic, but meets the requirement of reusability, because high-quality plastic can be cleaned in a dishwasher and microwave.
Although Screamin Mimi's has never used Styrofoam, Mazzetti Olson knows it is the cheapest product, then transparent plastic, and then compostable. The clear plastic was used before she went to compost. Just two years ago, the 26-year-old ice cream company discovered a non-plastic straw suitable for milkshakes.
"Initially, we absorbed the (transitional) cost. This is important, but it means a lot to me," Mazzetti Olsen said. "We are talking about a plate of ice cream, not a penny for a cup, which is now 3 cents." She admitted that the number of each customer was not large, but when they came in the box, the invoice was obvious.
Mazzetti Olson speculates that 99% of this store is compostable. The goal is 100%. Currently, the containers for milkshakes and sodas are recyclable plastics. She said this was because the compostable version of the product did not meet the compostable standards defined by the garbage company because it did not decompose fast enough.
"When we first started using compostables, they were very rare and in low demand. I was looking for sources," Mazzetti Olson said. "One of the best compostable suppliers right now is World Centric."
World Centric operates in a nearly 14,600-square-foot facility in Sonoma County and produces more than 360 biodegradable food service and retail products that will become soil in commercial composting facilities within 180 days.
"All of our products are plant-based and made of renewable materials, such as sugarcane waste or bagasse, bamboo, wheat straw and PLA-a bioplastic made mainly of corn starch. We fill it with PLA blends To make tableware with rigidity and heat resistance,” explains Mark Marinozzi, vice president of marketing at World Centric in Rohnert Park.
The PLA wrapped tableware has always been the company's largest seller. Other popular products include molded fiberboards, fiber flap lids and hot and cold cups.
"These products are used in almost all food service businesses, and as more and more food service organizations switch to compostable, we are seeing an increase in sales of these products," Marinezzi said.
Founded by Asem Das in 2004, the company is a non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness of large-scale humanitarian and environmental issues. By 2009, sales of compostable products became the main focus, and World Centric became B-Corp in 2010.
World Centric sells products to commercial and retail customers in the United States and Canada.
Although restaurants were engaged in food delivery during the pandemic, the manufacturer said its business declined last year due to reduced purchases from businesses, schools, university cafeterias, restaurants, and music festivals and conferences.
Marinozi said that until 2020, sales will increase by about 15% to 20% annually.
What keeps the company growing is its desire to create new and better products, government regulations, and consumer demand.
"Our R&D team is committed to innovating sustainable high-performance materials from agricultural waste," Marinezzi said. "This year, we also launched a new tableware series made of molded fibers. For take-out containers, we believe that containers made of molded fibers and other tree-free paper substitutes are plastic and foam containers with excellent performance and good performance. There are continuous alternatives, and there are many different shapes and sizes, which can meet the needs of various catering services."
Petaluma's Lunchette not only educates customers on why everything uses compostable containers, the restaurant also works with suppliers to bring this issue to the forefront.
This includes insisting that suppliers use compostable "peanuts" packaged goods that will dissolve immediately when they come in contact with water. This is compared to polystyrene which is always intact. Cardboard strips or other paper products are also recommended packaging options for restaurants.
“When we order anything from a supplier, such as a glass drink bottle, we don’t work with them to stop using polystyrene,” explains restaurant owner Naomi Crawford. "We are keeping our suppliers away from polystyrene. The county cannot let outside suppliers do this, so we are."
Since opening in April 2017, compost has been used for lunch.
"Polystyrene is the cheapest material, so when we make a business plan, we include (compostable) in our pricing," Crawford said. "But at the beginning we could not get all the compostable materials we needed, but now we can use all the compostable materials."