Packaging is one of the biggest contributors to waste because it only serves to package the product. Once you have taken the product out, a plastic bag or box that is still in good condition will most likely end up in the trash. Sure, we have certain ways of avoiding this such as keeping all the plastic bags to use as trash bags. However, it is undeniable that too much packaging is still going to landfills and take too much time to break down. Thus this leads to harmful effects on the environment. That is why this pizza place in the Philippines is working towards a more eco-friendly packaging with their pizza box made with pandan leaves!
Pizza Box made with Pandan Leaves
When BrickOven restaurant ran out of cardboard boxes and couldn’t source more from Manila, they took this as an opportunity to get creative. Looking towards the materials and skills nearby, they asked themselves how they could find an alternative. Hat weaving is the main industry of the area and so they asked a weaver to weave together a round basket with a cover called a tampipi.
The pizza box made with pandan leaves is so cute and unique! Some even say it gives the meal a rustic look unlike any other. Customers can reuse their tampipi’s to perhaps keep their own belongings at home or for their own cooking purposes. However, even if they throw away the boxes, it is biodegradable and will not sit around like cardboard or styrofoam does. It’s perfect for you to get your pizza while being eco-friendly!
Besides being an eco-friendly way of packaging and delivering their pizzas, BrickOven is also providing a new source of income for the local weavers. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the weaving industry took a big hit. In fact, many of them had difficulty in finding a stable source of income.
Inspired?
Sometimes it just takes one story to really inspire you to do your part for the environment. After all, it begins with that first step no matter how small it is. There are many different ways that you can implement a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
Firstly, it can be as simple as looking for products that come in biodegradable packaging. Nowadays you can even find plastic that is made to break down quickly. Of course it could also be opting for bar soap which come in paper packaging instead of liquid soap in plastic bottles.
Shopping!
Another option is to go to shops that sell common household products in bulk where you bring your own bottles. There are plenty in Kuala Lumpur that you can hit up to do your part in reducing package waste. We have The Hive in Bangsar, Nude Zero Waste in Petaling Jaya, and A Bit Less Bulk store in Kepong Baru. Remember to bring your own bottles and containers!
Check out The Little Clothing Shop which is a zero waste clothing line because no fabric goes to waste! The pieces are mapped out on a large piece of fabric like a jigsaw puzzle to ensure that every inch is used. Meanwhile, MUNI uses only natural dyes taken from Malaysia’s tropical landscape such as daun ketapang or sappan wood. As a result, the colours are rich and vibrant.
