Faced with 3,000 cubic feet of daily Styrofoam waste following a shift to in-room food delivery, Kisco Senior Living has ditched disposable containers for reusable versions from G.E.T. Enterprises.
Kisco, a senior living and lifestyle management company based in California, estimated its one-time use containers would fill a third of EPCOT Center in just a year’s time. The provider discontinued its formal dining room service because of coronavirus concerns.
Then, a community in North Carolina approached leadership with an idea about a more sustainable solution for meal delivery.
After teaming with G.E.T. and buying melamine-based food packaging products, Kisco has reduced its trash output — and saved over $50,000 in food packaging costs in a single month.
Kisco said the new containers also offer better temperature control for hot and cold foods thanks to snapping lids, a way to improve resident satisfactions with changes to the dining experience.
“We did some research into eco-friendly, reusable containers, and were pleasantly surprised at the impact switching over could make not only financially for the short-term, but for long-term quality that Kisco Senior Living strives to provide,” said Randall Lonoza, director of culinary services. “We see this as a standard going forward — not just a reaction to our current situation.”
As a whole, Kisco was spending more than $170,000 on disposable containers per month for room-serviced meals to residents across 20 communities. The initial purchase of eco-friendly containers was a little over $100,000. Lonoza estimated the company would break even after just two weeks.
The G.E.T. containers can be washed in industrial machines and are BPA-free, non-toxic and microwave-safe.
Every Kisco community is being trained in new best-practice protocols for room service that will ensure the safety of residents and dining staff, including keeping outgoing and incoming carts separate.
“We’re staying mindful of our processes so that everything will be cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected properly,” Lonoza said. “These extra training precautions help Kisco do their part to flatten the curve during this unprecedented time of uncertainty.”
