Compostable Food & Beverage Packaging Education Session

Two challenges are prominent in post-consumer food-waste programs: 1) food & beverage (F&B) packaging and 2) consumer responsibility for food-waste disposition.

The Ei task force SMAT –Sustainable Materials ACTION Team – provides Sustainable Food Court Initiative (SFCI) support for F&B packaging. At the present juncture, SMAT recommends single-use F&B packaging is BPI-Certified compostable to avoid contamination in the food-waste stream. The exception is pre-packaged beverages, such as soft drinks, water, and beer.

Ready to expand their recycling practices to the next dimension, Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) Director of Sustainability Tim Trefzer requested the Ei SMAT to present a comprehensive Compostable F&B Packaging Education Session to their Levy Restaurants’ downtown campus, including the GWCC, Georgia Dome, Centennial Olympic Park, Phillips Arena and the under-construction Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Georgia Dome is the SFCI – Event Venue Pilot. Levy Restaurants is the contracted foodservice operator for mentioned facilities.

Under SFCI Chair Doug Kunneman’s direction, SMAT crafted a powerful two-hour session that included ample time for Q&A and discussion throughout the presentations. On April 8, 2015 the SMAT members converged on Atlanta for the Levy education session.

The ZWA Blog article Compostable F&B Packaging: integral to zero-waste programs and soil rebuilding, is an overview of the session and the important role packaging plays in zero-waste programs; the Ei FB album, 04-08-15 Compostable F&B Packaging Education Session, gives a pictorial recap. Below is an overview of the presentation:
SMAT Compostable Packaging Educational OverviewSMAT Compostable Packaging Educational Overview (9309 KB)

Integral to the Zero-Food-Waste Journeys success was an August 2015 two-hour Compostable F&B Packaging Education Session modified for annual outdoor events.