There will be a company serving up eco-friendly food packaging alternatives at Super Bowl LIV this Sunday in Miami. Cathy Isom has more details about these compostable and marine-degradable products.
Arizona-based “Footprint” recently sent nearly one hundred thousand compostable and marine-degradable products to be used at Super Bowl concessions at events in Miami. Fiber-based bowls, cups, plates, hot dog boats, straws and other food containers will replace plastic, prevent pollution, and promote recycling. These products look a lot like plastic, but with one crucial difference, the materials they are made of will break down into natural elements without leaving a toxic residue. To make the products, the company takes fiber materials, which could include recycled boxes, newspapers, agricultural waste, wheat starch, virgin papers, and bagasse, a sugar cane byproduct. A Footprint spokesperson says the company primarily uses recycled sources of fiber like cardboard boxes in order to keep their products’ carbon footprint lower than their plastic counterparts. The fibers get mixed together in equipment that is akin to an industrial blender to create a slurry of materials. The company then adds different chemical compounds to alter the way the fiber behaves. The company also said only food-safe chemicals are used in their products. Miami’s Hard Rock stadium isn’t the only stadium that is attempting to go green and improve sustainability efforts. Every stadium in the NFL either has composting and energy saving measures in place, or is actively working toward implementing them.
Footprint is an official food sustainability partner for Super Bowl LIV.