The Harvest Collection from Genpak is a new line of compostable plates, food containers and cups that are produced from naturally occurring, annually renewable resources such as corn, rice and wheat.

Harvest of Plenty
The Harvest Collection from Genpak is a new line of compostable plates, food containers and cups that are produced from naturally occurring, annually renewable resources such as corn, rice and wheat. They will completely compost and biodegrade when placed into a commercially run composting facility. These products look and feel like traditional high-end plastic service ware, but when introduced into a commercially run compost facility, will completely break down and turn into rich, useful compost between 90 and 180 days. “A definite and growing market exists for this type of product category and we felt the time was right to launch a full line of products from hinged containers to cups,” Marketing Manager Jeff Cole says. “We wanted to give customers a full range of products instead of just one or two items.” Visit www.genpak.com for more information.

In Command
Command Packaging has engineered the Encore product line of plastic carryout bags made from post-consumer recycled material. “Restaurants always face challenges from changing market demands,” President Pete Grande says. “Selecting a functional, environmentally friendly and affordable carry-out bag should not be one of them. We created a carryout bag company focused on designing solutions for restaurants that need to fit odd-sized containers into bags. Eighteen years later, our approach hasn’t changed; today we’re still addressing the needs of our customers, they just happen to be environmentally driven.” Visit www.commandpackaging.com for more information.

Special ‘FX’
Unified Brands’ FX Series refrigeration systems – under the Randall product line – manages the cold storage space better than traditional designs. They conserve energy by maintaining the cold at point-of-use without allowing the cold to pour out onto the floor requiring energy to be consumed at a higher rate to recover that temperature loss, Product Line Director Art DeLorenzo says. “It is critical for [us] to provide energy-efficient solutions to our customers so they can more effectively prepare healthy and safe foods for our society while conserving our natural resources.” Visit www.unifiedbrands.net for more information.

Blue and Green
Sustainably raised by Kona Blue Water Farms, “Kona Kampachi is a Hawaiian yellowtail that is open-ocean grown in the waters off the Kona Coast of the Big Island – hatched, reared and harvested using state-of-the-art aquaculture technology, without depleting wild fisheries or harming the ocean environment,” the company says. Visit www.kona-blue.com for more information.

Raising the Bar
Lärabar takes the "bar" craze to a new level with its focus on products that that are all natural with no fillers. These unprocessed, gluten-free bars include fruits, nuts and spices, minus ingredients such as gluten and added sugar. Chocolate lovers can enjoy its Jöcalat brand of brownie bars with the same “rawness” of Lärabar, plus the natural antioxidant benefits of chocolate. Visit www.larabar.com for more information.

Wine Not?
Vinotemp International, a producer of wine cooling units, is stepping into a new area of business with its Green Line series, with thermoelectric technology that offers quiet, energy-efficient
operation. There are no chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochloro-fluorocarbons used because they damage the ozone layer. Target stores have picked up this unit for a Christmas 2007 promotion, the company says. “It’s important that our products be environmentally friendly,” President India Hynes says. “The fact that this technology is simply better for storing wine is how we came to the decision to utilize this technology.” Visit www.vinotemp.com for more information.