EcoTensil brings paperboard cutlery to Europe in compostable foodbox fusion

01 Jul 2022 --- EcoTensil is introducing its sturdy paperboard utensil in Europe. The US-based company has added its built-in cutlery to Global-C’s EcoFoodBox, enhancing its functionality for a streamlined plastic-free, compostable, and recyclable meal service solution. 

The combination of the two products – the box and the utensils – decreases space usage, labor hours, and manufacturing cost, as managing the hygiene of the two products separately is no longer necessary.

Bend to touch the dots
The multi-tensil folds back snugly inside the box, wedged between the top flap and kept away from the food and outside environment to maintain cleanliness and hygienic standards. 

The company trademarked the “bend-to-touch-the-dots” instructions, which are used to fold the multi-tensil before use. Its paperboard material is said to have a more pleasant satiny texture than dry wood, which is known to interfere with the flavor and enjoyment of food. The aim was to create a “pleasant taste experience as an alternative to the not-so-good tasting wooden utensils,” says EcoTensil.The multi-tensil’s paperboard material produces a more pleasant satiny texture than dry wood.

“No wrap is needed because the utensil stays clean under the flap,” says EcoTensil founder and CEO Peggy Cross. “The moisture-barrier paperboard used for the NeverLeak food box ticks all the same certified sustainability boxes as the EcoTensil products themselves.”

No additional energy or material
Cross explains that one of the key advantages of this food box is the reduction in materials due to producing the utensil out of the extra material around the die-cut box.

“Since the EcoTensil is made from the same sheet of paperboard as the box, at the same time, there is very little additional material used in the making of the utensil and no additional energy is used in making and shipping,” she says.

“Consumers are increasingly considering the health of the planet, and expect foodservice packaging to be as sustainable as possible. “The box, utensil and food can all be composted, or with no food, it can all be recycled.”

Grab-and-go convenienceRestaurant takeaways and delis are expected to benefit from using the integrated EcoFoodBox.
Wayne Costigan, director at Global-C states that the product is a suitable solution for airlines and transit because it can go from freezer to oven to passenger with minimal fuss and material.

It eliminates the need to provide wrapped utensils, saving both handling and product costs. “The EcoTensil multi-tensil can be used for just about any food that doesn’t need cutting with a knife,” he says.

Innova Market Insights found that 40% of consumers globally look for two main things in food packaging for on-the-go meals. Firstly, convenient usability and ease of transport, and secondly, food safety whereby leakage and spilling are the main points of avoidance. 

In line with this, Costigan explains that not only on-board catering and the travel sectors could benefit from using the integrated EcoFoodBox, but also restaurant takeaways and the deli areas in supermarkets.

The containers can be used in an oven with temperatures up to 220 °C and frozen to -40 °C, and they are available for purchase with or without a window made of compostable film to see the contents.

“Our mission is to offer the most eco-friendly utensils that meet all the EU and UK’s sustainability standards. That benefits our customers and their customers, and most importantly, the environment our children will inherit from us,” concludes Costigan.

By Mieke Meintjes

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