Bottle Boxes to debut in cafeteria

Before you toss that empty plastic water bottle in the trash, stop and think.  Your decision to recycle those bottles will soon have a direct effect on Citrus College.

The Bottle Box is about to be introduced to the Stuffed Owl Café.  The newly designed food packaging product made from 100 percent post-consumer beverage bottles is a green alternative to the cafeteria's current food-packing products.  The line is also more cost effective.  

Universities such as UCLA, Stanford, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and UC Davis are in the process of implementing the Bottle Box in their food services programs as well.

However, Citrus College is the first California community college to adopt this green alternative.

Glenn Orfila, senior vice president of Access Group, a company that represents manufacturers specializing in eco-friendly products, said he would like to see every campus go through this innovative change.

"College kids are the best weapon to spread this message," Orfila said.
Given that it takes about 450 years for one plastic bottle to break down in a landfill, the call for recycling plastic is greater than ever.

"The idea of recycling was not really pushed in my generation compared to today's generation," said Laura Murphy, vice president of sales and marketing for Direct Pack Inc.  "I see the movement really coming from you guys."

The Bottle Box is being marketed not only on college campuses but also to other businesses that use packaging products.  Big names such as Wal-Mart, Costco, The Cheesecake Factory, BJ's Restaurant and Brewery, and El Torito Grill, are among some of the businesses moving to adopt the Bottle Box.

"A lot of companies are trying to make efforts to go green but could not afford it," Murphy said.  "But with the Bottle Box, now they can."
Philomena O'Shea, the Stuffed Owl Café's food services supervisor said that she was thrilled when Orfila contacted her.

"I'm just trying to use up the rest of the old flimsy ones so we can start using the new Bottle Boxes," O'Shea said. 

The Bottle Boxes will make their debut in the café in a few weeks.

O'Shea stressed the importance of the cafeteria's efforts to help the environment while also saving money.

"If the plastic bottles can be re-used for something great, why put them in the ground?" O'Shea asked.

Direct Pack Inc. and Global PET are making an effort to provide solutions to that question. 
Global PET was recently granted a nearly $7 million loan by the state of California to convert 100 percent post-consumer recycled PET products (plastic water bottles) into the innovative food-packaging products.

"We're the first ones to have the guts to do it," Murphy said. 

Local recycling plants and the creators of the Bottle Box work as a collective in gathering recycled plastics in order to create the green-friendly food-packaging products.

By undergoing the full recycling process (granulating, washing, extrusion and thermoforming), the post-industrial scraps are turned into packages for salads, entrees, snacks, take out, and deli items.

"We just want to make the process as simple as possible," Murphy said.  "We turn water bottles into food boxes.  I think we're doing a lot of good things."

The boxes are notable for their sleek design and durability.  They also allow customers to personalize their Bottle Boxes with company logos.  O'Shea said she plans to use the Citrus College logo on the boxes.

Consumers can become aware of their direct impact on the environment as each box has a legend indicating how many bottles were used to make that box. 

The boxes come in four sizes. The smallest boxes use about two and a half bottles, while the larger ones might use up to five. 
Megan Lemaire, 20, who is majoring in child development, said she was impressed with the idea.

"I like how it shows our school is really making an effort," she said. "It really makes you realize how important it is to re-use every one of those bottles."

For more information on the Bottle Box, visit www.thebottlebox.com or watch their YouTube video with keyword "Bottle Box."