Imagine you grab a quick lunch and head back to the office. As you begin to pull your order from the bag, you realize everything is contained in styrofoam. Even the utensils are made of plastic. Obviously your favorite place for lunch isn’t the most environmentally-responsible restaurant. But what if next time you went there for a bite to eat, you brought along your own containers and utensils — that don’t require a trip to a recycling center or landfill?
Enter Stephanie Bernstein, CEO and Founder of To-Go Ware, which offers eco-reusable to-go boxes and utensils. Bernstein created a line of products that can be used long term after a stop at an ice cream shop in 1997 when her dish was served in a plastic cup. “I just found it unnecessary because if I could carry around a coffee mug, then I could certainly carry around utensils instead of throwing them out after one use,” said Bernstein.
To-Go Ware has produced stainless steel food carriers, cotton carrier bags and ceramic cups since their start in 2004, but has recently also added a utensil set made of bamboo along with a 100 percent recycled plastic holder. The bamboo utensils are produced by CONSERVE, a non-governmental organization that employs rag pickers in Delhi, India. CONSERVE workers collect, sort, clean and weigh plastic bags, which are then turned into the fabrics for the utensil holders. No extra dyes are needed because of the variety of colors of the bags.
Bernstein didn’t anticipate outreach employment, but as To-Go Ware became a reality, she realized she could improve the environment as well as people’s livelihood. “In addition to being a green business, we have a strong social agenda,” says Bernstein. “Not only is it the more forks we sell, the less forks are thrown away, but at the same time we are giving work to people in need.”
To-Go Ware has made great strides helping people how to improve their ecological footprint and it shows. To-Go Ware increased profits by 300 percent in 2007 alone and has also been noticed by stores like Urban Outfitters and Whole Food Markets, who have opted to sell To-Go Ware products at select stores around the country.
Bernstein plans to keep expanding the product line to accommodate buyers with different food-carrier sizes as the company continues to grow and hopes that one day To-Go Ware will become an eco-alternative to Tupperware. “What I like to do with the company is set a tone about the products — something that makes people want to make a change, which is why it makes a great gift,” says Bernstein. “Gifting the ‘idea’ is a great way to make small behavioral changes.” For more information, visit to-goware.com.
— Lisa Meyer