A good idea always seems so simple. It makes you feel like an idiot for never thinking of it yourself, because it just makes so much sense. In this country, we consume 3 billion pizzas each year, and 70% of those are delivered in a box—a box often made from virgin fiber, too big to fit into refrigerators, recycling or garbage bins (how the contents always manage to fit into your belly is another mystery).
The Green Box cleverly solves a few delivery pizza problems. The lid is perforated and breaks apart into four serving plates, the bottom then folds together into a convenient container that actually fits into the fridge for saving leftovers. It is made of 100% recycled cardboard, which is actually cheaper than the regular virgin cardboard that conventional pizza boxes use. This puts the cost of producing the Green Box at exactly the same as those conventional ones. Seems like a no-brainer.
Environmentally Conscious Organization (e.c.o.), Incorporated launched the box on June 30th this year and have already seen huge interest from consumers, independent pizza shops and large chains alike. They have even received several offers to license the product internationally. “It’s a unique and necessary product” said William Walsh, CEO and founder of e.c.o., “in that it appeals to everyone from college kids to families-on-the-go. What’s more, customers all appreciate the fact that the Green Box is made from 100% recycled material and that it helps save on wasteful follow-on materials like disposable plates and aluminum foil or plastic wrap for leftovers.”
In a stroke of marketing genius, marketing manager Jennifer Wright sent a tweet to Ashton Kutcher, the most followed person on Twitter, containing a link to the Green Box site. He liked it and posted a tweet, calling it a “cool idea.” Since then, the Green Box has been the subject of various news segments and newspaper articles, has been featured in hundreds of internet blogs and has been the talk of social networking sites around the world. The demonstration video for the Green Box (below) has garnered well over half a million views on its YouTube site. The power of social media shall not be underestimated.
I got a chance to chat with e.c.o. Inc. partners William and Jennifer at the Green Business Competition awards ceremony at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall, where they won second prize (first was a NYC hydroponic rooftop farm). They talked about the Green Box with such excitement and enthusiasm that it is hard to imagine that they will not succeed. I believe the main reason they did not take home first place was that everyone felt that they would do great with or without the prize money. There is no doubt they will. Now, if we could only stop ordering take-out.
pkb
June 19, 2009
green pizza box is just another box which ends up in the garbage since in can’t be recylced because it has been contaminated with grease. How does it solve environmental problem since same amout waste in as it would have without this box
Josh Schwingler
June 20, 2009
Brilliant idea, brilliant marketing play. We actually used to do this when I was in college (last year). Not because it was sustainable, but because we did not want to do dishes and we did not have paper plates… Who knew that our laziness would have been commericalizable to this extent! Way to go young entrepreneurial community!