disposable this, disposable that…
If you’ve ever attended or hosted a party, a shindig, a soiree, some kind of get together, big or small- you know that it can amass substantial waste.
Disposable products are definitely a necessary convenience for certain circumstances, but Basil Tree has developed some waste saving alternatives to disrupt the waste cycle and give our catering materials more life. A zero waste option is possible!
how do i have a “zero waste event”?
Choose re-usable/returnable options:
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- bulk beverage dispensers for things like coffee, iced tea, lemonade, water
- request bulk sugars or creamers instead of single use
- request a Basil Bin- a FREE SERVICE! Upon request, we will include a heavy duty bin with your delivery for you to fill with your used platters, bowls, lids, beverage dispensers, and serving utensils. We then come back and pick up the bin the next business day so that we can sanitize and reuse the returnable items and save them from ending up in the waste stream.
- opt for sharable buffet platters instead of individually packaged disposable containers
- choose fully recyclable individual drinks, like glass or aluminum instead of plastic (BT only offers plastic-free drinks now!). The recycling stream is totally flawed, for sure, but glass and aluminum have been proven to be a more reliable recycled
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composting and compostables
If you have composting services available to you, you can compost:
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- food waste
- compostable utensils, plates, and napkins
- compostable packaging
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Single use products are NOT our preference but when we need to use individually package items, we use only compostable or 100% recyclable options including, but not limited to:
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- compostable plates, cups, utensils, and napkins from World Centric, detailed below
- unbleached/compostable deli paper for sandwiches- no plastic wrap
- unbleached/compostable paper bags for individual cookies and snacks
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Basil Tree uses World Centric BPI certified compostable products. Here’s some interesting info about World Centric:
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- their products are made from wheat and sugar “waste” as well as annually renewable plants like bamboo and corn
- they are are non-polluting and non-toxic and break down into healthy soil in a commercial composting facility
- manufacturing of their products produces less pollution than wood and petroleum based products
- the company donates 25% of their profits to social and environmental orgs- pretty cool!
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If you’re hosting a very large event and you DON’T have composting available to you but are still interested in the option, give us a call or shoot us an email. We can discuss!
