BOULDER, COLO.—Eco-Products has earned awards for two of its compostable containers: an innovative snack cup and a take-out container. Eco-Products was the only company to be honored for two separate products in this year’s QSR/FPI Foodservice Packaging Awards competition.
Eco-Products’ Grip & Dip Snack Cup earned first place in the Innovation in Manufacturing category. Its WorldView Three-Compartment Take-Out Container earned the second-place award for Innovation in Convenience.
“We are proud that our products were recognized for making life easier for everyone from stadiums to fans, from restaurants to their guests,” said Sarah Martinez, Director of Marketing for Eco-Products. “We are committed to making things better for our customers and our planet.”
Both the Grip & Dip Snack Cup and the WorldView Three-Compartment Take-Out Container have bases made from sugarcane. Each is grease- and cut-resistant, freezer safe and is certified as compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). The take-out tray lid is made with 100 percent renewable resources and is also commercially compostable; the Grip & Dip lid is made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.
Grip & Dip: Easy to Carry
The Grip & Dip is designed for concession foods like French fries, chicken fingers and ice cream. It’s easy to carry, with the dipper and the dip in one streamlined container.
“As more operators are using pumps for condiments to eliminate packets, they need a cup to hold those items, especially at stadiums,” one of the award judges wrote. “This package is designed specifically for the consumer….This kind of shape has been difficult to capture in molded fiber until now, so this is an innovative solution to a problem.”
Eco-Products’ WorldView Three Compartment Take-Out Container was honored for being both versatile and functional. Dividers allow restaurants to build three tacos inside the tray and present them in an upright fashion.
The container means guests can enjoy their tacos the way the restaurant intended—and with a lot less mess. The taco can go back in the tray while the guest is drinking or talking, keeping the ingredients inside the taco and not spread out on the plate.
‘Strong Sustainability Benefits’
“The Taco Tray covers all the bases,” one of the award judges wrote. “It is highly functional, visually pleasing, enhances appetite appeal, and has strong sustainability benefits.”
If a restaurant is serving two tacos, the third compartment can be used for rice or sides like guacamole or sour cream.
“We tested various versions at different restaurants and found that each one served tacos that were slightly different in size and shape,” Martinez said. “So we chose this version of the Take-Out Container because it’s the most versatile. It epitomizes convenience for both restaurants and their guests.”
Eco-Products received the awards this month.
“We’re proud to be the only company to have two of its products honored this year,” Martinez said. “We’ll continue to create new innovations in the year ahead.”
