Pizza Boxes Raise Bar For Sustainability
By Canadian Packaging Staff
Sustainability Atlantic Packaging Products Pizza 73A bigger box may not at first sound like a stellar example of packaging sustainability, but for western Canadian pizza delivery operator Pizza 73, the company’s unique two-tiered boxes have more than paid their way in terms of effective marketing and corporate environmental responsibility.
Today operating 67 locations in 16 cities across Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C., the company began using two-tiered pizza boxes—manufactured by the Toronto-based Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd.—right from its start-up in 1985, according to chief marketing officer Pat Finelli, as a way to differentiate itself from competition, while taking advantage of the larger box size to combine multiple entrées inside a single package.
“Our double-decker boxes are an example of how you don’t have to sacrifice performance, convenience or great taste for sustainability,” says Finelli, explaining that the two-tiered layers inside the boxes enable customers to receive two pizzas, a pizza-and-wings combo meal, etc., in one compact container—saving considerable water and energy that would be required to manufacture extra boxes.
“These innovations are a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrate how sustainable business practices lead to better business and industry leadership,” says Finelli, claiming that using the two-tiered boxes cartons instead of conventional pizza boxes enables Pizza 73 and its parent company, Toronto-headquartered Pizza Pizza Ltd., to save more than 100,000 trees annually.
According to Finelli, the two-tiered boxes have been significantly improved over the years as well—today using fewer materials and an improved grade of corrugated to achiever lighter-weight construction, while effectively maintaining the temperature, humidity and freshness of the meals inside.
Both the pizza and wing boxes are made from 100 per cent recycled recycled materials, according to the company, with 94 per cent of their content derived from post-consumer recycled fibers.
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