Compostable, plant-based pizza box “PizzaRound” delivered by World Centric 

19 Mar 2018 --- World Centric announces PizzaRound, its 100 percent tree-free, plant-based, compostable pizza container. The pizza shaped container claims to reduce packaging waste, labor and space, as well as sustaining the freshness of the pizza itself.

PizzaRound consists of entirely renewable sources. Made from 80 percent sugarcane and twenty percent bamboo, the “box” may well offer a key advantage for restaurants trying to minimize their environmental impact.

World Centric has detailed the PizzaRound’s beneficial components:

Less packaging: no liners, tissue or plastic tents are needed to maintain crispness, absorb grease or prevent damages to toppings.

• Labor and space savings: the necessity to fold containers and provide “nesting storage” is reduced.
• Better food performance: World Centric claims there is improved heat retention, grease grooves, air vents and “raised dimples” that help maintain crispness.
• Convenience features: Can be reheated in the oven at 450 degrees.

Our sister website, FoodIngredientsFirst, has previously reported on the world’s first plastic-free aisle in the organic supermarket chain, Ekoplaza. Plastic packaging was replaced with scalable and convenient biodegradable packaging.

Ekoplaza uses eco-friendly alternatives to plastic in the secondary packaging of its plastic-free products. The company uses mainly Dutch suppliers such as Do-It – a large importer of rice and wheat – who provide cartons without plastic tape. “They deliver us products that look like plastic but are 100 percent decomposable,” says Erik Does, Ekoplaza Chief Executive, who is also concerned about reducing food waste, an issue often associated with decreased packaging. “As an organic company, we’d like to have our products as close as possible in terms of the supply chain.”

Growing amounts of evidence and players in the sector are demonstrating that plastic-free solutions can hold environmental, economic and practical benefits. The continuing expansion of such products in the takeaway and delivery realm is promising.

World Centric at a glance
The new PizzaRound box will expand World Centric's line of plates, utensils, cups and other plant-based, certified compostable food service ware that already seek to support restaurant operators in the US and Canada. These products try to help restaurateurs make an impact on the environment and support global giving.

All of World Centric's products are certified compostable and will turn to soil in commercial composting facilities. As a Certified B Corporation and California Benefit Corporation, World Centric adheres to standards of social and environmental responsibility and donates 25 percent of profits to organizations addressing social and environmental issues with more than US $1.2 million allocated for donations in 2017.

“Our focus for the past 14 years has been to help the foodservice industry reduce waste and improve its stewardship of the earth,” says Mark Stephany, SVP of Sales for World Centric. “Our new PizzaRound not only continues that initiative but also provides true functional innovations that make it possible to deliver a great quality pizza from the oven to the customer's house.”