New Soup Containers a Win-Win for Clients and the Environment

This month, Project Angel Heart cut a major component from meals: the Styrofoam containers.

“We are so thrilled to no longer be using Styrofoam,” said executive chef Brandon Foster. The Styrofoam containers had previously been used for storing and delivering soup to clients.

Now, soup is being packaged in a square container that’s just like our meal trays, only with one compartment. “The new containers we are using are far more convenient not only for storage in the kitchen, but more importantly for our clients,” said Chef Brandon.

“Clients had to transfer the soup from the Styrofoam container to a bowl before heating it up. With the new containers, they won’t have to do that. The new soup trays can be reheated the same way that our regular meal trays are reheated. Since our clients are so sick and don’t have the energy or mobility to cook for themselves, it’s really important that reheating the food is as easy as possible.”

The new trays are made from tree-free eco-friendly fiber, and they’re tough. Like our meal trays, they can go straight from the freezer to the oven or the microwave, won’t tear during delivery, and will stay cool to the touch while contents stay hot. 

Another huge perk? The trays are compostable, and made from renewable material.

Styrofoam is notoriously bad for the environment. It takes up to 500 years to decompose, and is not recyclable in Colorado. Sustainability is a big priority for Project Angel Heart- we pride ourselves on diverting 70% of our waste to compost and recycling. So getting rid of Styrofoam in our kitchen has been a big goal.

“As an organization, we have tried to get rid of Styrofoam for years, but could not find a product with competitive pricing because it is so inexpensive,” said Kyle Copp, Project Angel Heart’s administrative and sustainability specialist. Both he and Chef  Brandon worked tirelessly to find an alternative, calling suppliers and inquiring about nonprofit pricing. But every container they found cost at least twice as much as Styrofoam. Given the amount of soup we deliver each week (usually about 2,400 containers), our budget couldn’t handle the hit.

“Thankfully, Chef Brandon has a great relationship with Oliver, the company who we buy our meal trays from. They were able to work with us to supply soup containers that are made from a 100 percent renewable resource,” said Kyle.

The new trays are still more expensive than Styrofoam containers, but Oliver was able to work with us to ensure the jump wasn’t too drastic to handle. And we’re glad to be taking on the increased cost so we can decrease our impact on the environment. 

“We’re proud to honor our commitment to sustainability in this way, and grateful for our donors and community partners who have made it possible for us to cut Styrofoam out of our program,” said Erin Pulling, president and CEO. “The fact that these new containers are better for the environment and make it easier for our clients to heat and enjoy their soup- that meets two huge goals for us. It’s a win-win.”