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Slope Side offers sweet solution

Local supply company introduces eco-friendly alternative packaging

Do you cringe whenever you order take out and are handed a plastic or Styrofoam container?

One local business is aiming to change the way Whistlerites enjoy their to-go treats by offering biodegradable and compostable packaging options.

Slope Side Supply has kept local eateries’ supply cabinets stocked for almost 13 years now.

Tony Horn, one of the owners of Slope Side, said their latest initiative is to cut down on waste from the local food service industry by introducing a new line of products. They began offering sugarcane “clamshell” containers and plates, biodegradable plastic products, and corn-based cutlery to their clients about three months ago.

The sugarcane products are actually made from bagasse, which is the fibre leftover from sugar production.

Horn also points out that these products can not only be put directly into a compost bin, but since bagasse is normally burnt as waste product, using it in the containers actually prevents air pollution.

The only downside to the sugarcane containers is that they are shipped all the way from China. But Horn hopes that some day they will be made closer to home, cutting down on pollution produced through transporting the product.

Horn said they have been trying to find a reasonable alternative to Styrofoam and plastic packaging for a few years.

“To be honest, it’s been a bit of a battle to find stuff.”

Up until about six months ago, all of the available products had design flaws.

“We saw stuff like two years ago that didn’t have the spill guard or a really proper way to close,” said Horn, “… at the end of the day, the container’s got to work. You can’t have people spilling their pasta on the way home in their car.”

Finally, Slope Side found a company that had what they were looking for: Vancouver-based Biodegradable Solutions.

So far, Horn said he is impressed with the number of clients who have opted to use the new products, with about 15 to 20 local companies making the switch.

“Some people instantly say ‘Yup, that’s what I want. Even if it’s not perfect, I want to switch to this.’”

Dups Burritos was one of the first companies to get onboard with the eco-friendly products. Dan Mullen, co-owner of Dups, said they decided to go with the sugarcane plates immediately because they knew customers would like them.

“All we’ve heard for the past year is, ‘oh, I don’t want Styrofoam, I don’t want Styrofoam.’ We actually had some people bringing in their own plates.”

Mullen said they have received a “fantastic” reaction from customers so far.

“Everyone wants to do their part without actually going out of their way to do it, so to speak.”

The new packaging is slightly more expensive than Styrofoam or plastic. For example, Horn said each clamshell container is about 10 cents more than the traditional version — which is almost a 33 per cent price increase.

But cost only made the owners of Dups hesitate for a moment.

“The way we look at it is we’re trying to do our part,” said Mullen. “…It was pretty much a no-brainer.”

Mullen also said he hopes the price of the product will decrease as it becomes more mainstream.

While the price hike may seem significant, Horn points out that everyone used to drink coffee out of Styrofoam until Starbucks introduced paper cups. Despite the fact that paper cups cost almost four times as much and don’t insulate as well as Styrofoam, they became the industry standard.

“The reason that people have done that is because of a look and the preconceived notion that you don’t really want to drink your coffee out of Styrofoam — it’s kind of gross,” said Horn.

He added, the cost factor isn’t what has stopped most clients from switching. Some businesses are hesitant to switch simply because the packaging won’t work for them — it may not be the right size or design for their product.

Horn said Slope Side is trying to convince manufacturers to produce different sizes, so their eco-friendly options will appeal to more customers.

Generally speaking, the supply industry hasn’t focused on environmental issues, Horn said. But as global warming has come to the forefront in the media, things have started to change.

However, Horn is the first to admit there are some challenges to recycling in the corridor.

He said they are in a “weird grey area” when it comes to their new products, because not everyone composts or is even aware that the container they are eating out of is biodegradable.

While he believes the municipality is doing a great job of promoting recycling, he hopes they will continue to improve their programs and add a composting component.

“With the new transfer station opening in the Callaghan, there’s a lot of things kind of going to be tied in with that, and if we do get the commercial composter, composting is going to become as big a word in the valley as recycling.”