Nov 4 2011 --- Excellent Packaging & Supply, an innovator and wholesale distributor of sustainable, biodegradable, and nature-based packaging for foodservice and other applications, has added a new line of food display and presentation containers made from bulrush and other plant fibers to its line of compostable foodservice packaging products for supermarkets and grocery stores.

Designed to replace the polystyrene containers that are typically used in the meat, poultry and seafood departments, the new line includes trays, containers and portion cups made from plant fibers that will compost in 30-90 days in both home and municipal composting environments significantly reducing landfill waste. The new line is manufactured by Be Green Packaging, a company that maintains the highest level of eco-certification in the industry.

“Ask any environmentally conscious grocer what they think of polystyrene and they’ll say they can’t stand the stuff, but that it’s a necessary evil because the alternatives just don’t hold up to real use behind the meat, poultry and seafood counters,” said Allen King, president of Excellent Packaging & Supply. “Our new line of supermarket food and meat trays proves that there is now a viable alternative that’s not made from corn, trees or plastic, and that offers the required durability and sturdiness even when used with fresh, moist food.”

New trays look good and are sturdy and durable with performance better than Styrofoam.

The new foodservice trays and containers are freezer-, microwave-, and oven-safe, making them some of the most durable plant-fiber products on the market. A key attribute of these trays and containers is that they are sturdy and can contain water, liquid and hot foods without compromising product performance. Until now, alternatives to polystyrene have generally not held up well with such foods, according to Gena Allen, catering director at Sunshine Foods in Saint Helena, California.

“At last, we can use an all-natural product that works well and even looks good! We’ve been trying to move away from Styrofoam for years but everything we tried couldn’t hold up when in contact with moist meats and poultry. With these new trays, we can package pretty much anything and feel confident that it will present well and stay fresh. And, because they don’t insulate, we can use them for seafood and not worry about the food spoiling even though it’s on ice. We keep telling Excellent Packaging to give us more sizes because these trays and containers have such a wide range of uses,” said Allen.

The Be Green Packaging trays and containers are available in an assortment of sizes, for immediate delivery. All of them are made from plant fibers, primarily bulrush, along with bamboo, sugarcane bagasse, and wheat or rice straw. These fibers are from annually renewable agricultural resources that do not compete with food production. The manufacturer, Be Green Packaging, holds certifications from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Western Michigan University’s Recycling Program, the Biodegradable Product’s Institute (BPI), the Non-GMO Project, and the USDA BioPreferred Program. Be Green Packaging has also begun construction of a domestic factory in the USA that will produce their products using domestic, non-food raw materials within a year.