The Green Box
Just after posting Monday’s story about a mailing envelope that transforms into a clothes hanger, we came across this video of another elegant and environmentally responsible packaging solution that serves a useful secondary function:
Posted by PJ on May 14, 2009 |
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22 comments posted
Posted by Krisha - 05/14/2009
my immediate response was, “oh, that’s cute.” i know there will be complaints that the plates aren’t large enough, but i really don’t mind the trek back to the kitchen for the second (or third) slice.
Posted by Luca - 05/14/2009
4 grown men eat only a slice of pizza. Then they need to ruin the pizza by taking it to the refrigerator? I’ll tell you that a slice of pizza so little wouldn’t last the run to the sofa… is it really green to put all these efforts to break the box ??? is it really green to open the door of the refrigerator only for the purpose to use the packaging feature of the pizza box??
Posted by Christian - 05/14/2009
actually, from a health perspective, you should not put that kind of cardboard boxes in your fridge, there can be all sorts of spores, fungus and other things in the cardboard that you do not want in your fridge
Posted by Sheryl - 05/14/2009
My 20 year old kid could inhale that whole pizza in record time, while using the entire box for a “plate”. But I guess it would be easy to break down for the compost bin.
Posted by Fran - 05/14/2009
I think its a great idea. When its nice out we frequently get a couple pizzas to go and eat them in a park. With that box, we wouldn’t need any extra plates, and the few slices that are left over would be easy to transport home.
Posted by Amy - 05/14/2009
This is great! Love it! Even if you don’t use the plates, I have often put the entire box in the fridge just to save a few slices. This would be especially useful if you pick up a pizza and intend to eat it out at a park, etc.
Posted by Sandra - 05/14/2009
The “plates” thing seems really useful for a lot of college meeting-type gatherings I’ve seen, where, otherwise paper plates or napkins get used; since you already have the box as waste, why not make it easy to break down into “plates”? Yes, you can just use the whole box lid and the whole box bottom, and I’ve seen it done before, but it doesn’t help as many people
Posted by cassie-b - 05/14/2009
I think the Green Box is an excellent idea – especially the left over box. We never finish a whole pizza here, and that would be most convenient.
Posted by Andy - 05/14/2009
It’s so simple, it’s brilliant. I hope it catches on as being able to condense the box down would be ideal for me and many others.
Posted by Peter (a different one) - 05/14/2009
If nothing else, the fact that the box breaks down will make it fit in the recycling bin much easier.
I like the idea, I think it’s very clever. Although back in college we did use plates and ate directly from the box, and believe me no pizza ever came close to hitting the floor!
Posted by Peter (a different one) - 05/14/2009
Oh – just had another thought, what if the box top was two thinner layers that could break into 8 plates? Then for an 8 cut pizza you’d have a plate for each slice and the plates would be closer to the same thickness of a paper plate.
(GreenBox – I expect royalties if you use my idea)
Posted by Guen - 05/14/2009
What a great idea! When they first started ripping the top into plates, I thought “that’s nice, but what about the leftovers?” The remaining box folding in half is awesome and a space saver! When are my local pizza places going to jump on this bandwagon?
Posted by Keviny - 05/14/2009
Good for composting, but bad for recycling. Grease touching paper takes it out of being something that will recycle.
Posted by Another Deb - 05/14/2009
What is this “leftover pizza” of which you speak?
Posted by Jacque - 05/15/2009
Okay, but is this an idea unique enough to deserve a patent? Is there really no prior art of cutting a piece of cardboard in 4?
Posted by Karyn - 05/15/2009
Breaking the lid into plates is handy when you don’t have plates at hand (e.g., ordering a pizza to share at work), or just don’t want to dirty them for a casual occasion (as most pizza-ordering occasions are). The storage-box part is handy for toting leftovers home, but for storing leftover pizza in the fridge I personally prefer to use a plastic reusable container; I think it maintains better quality that way. I love cold leftover pizza.
Oh, and I agree with Keviny: DON’T put used pizza boxes in the recycling.
Posted by Mike - 05/15/2009
I don’t really get why this is more green than eating pizza at the restaurant. Even then, most pizza places serve their pizza on paper plates. Cardboard boxes and paper plates are still made out of trees correct? But I do know for a fact that Dominos pizza is made out of cardboard, so at least they’re recycling.
Posted by Caixa de pizza reciclável pra valer! « A_R_Q_U_I_T_O - 05/15/2009
[...] 15/05/2009 por Arquito via Unclutterer [...]
Posted by Kira =] - 05/15/2009
Now that was cool! Although maybe keep it as a request only type of box. Since ppl like me have 1/2 a pizza left out of the 3 they bought. It’d be a waste for the ones that never have leftovers, or don’t care for plates. I think specific request would be best for a product like this.
Posted by Clare K. R. Miller - 05/15/2009
I love it! Makes me hungry. I just wish they didn’t put so much emphasis on the supposed recyclability of the cardboard. No, you cannot recycle cardboard that pizza has been on. Compost, maybe.
@Mike: I really doubt the restaurant uses recycled paper for its plates and napkins. And if you wanted to take some home (though I don’t think pizza places that let you take some home also use paper plates), you’d probably still be given a Styrofoam container.
Posted by Christine - 05/16/2009
Keviny nailed it. You can’t recycle a pizza box, no matter what it is made of.
Posted by Jody - 05/18/2009
“I remember, when I was a kid, the pizza box was just that — a pizza box. We had to use completely seperate plates! Man, we were dumb.”
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