StalkMarket Calculates Carbon Footprint of Compostable Dishware

StalkMarket, a manufacturer of compostable dishware and food packaging, is the third U.S. company to certify its carbon footprint by Carbon Trust, reports The Oregonian.

The Carbon Trust certified (pdf) that a pound of StalkMarket’s sugarcane-based plates and bowls emit 6 pounds of carbon dioxide to produce, ship and dispose of, with about 75 percent of the emissions generated by the manufacturing process, reports The Oregonian.

Only 8 percent of the total carbon footprint is a result of transportation (distribution and retail) even though the products are manufactured in Thailand and transported to the U.S.

StalkMarket says it can’t say how its footprint stacks up against other types of dishware yet, because so few manufacturers have quantified their carbon emissions, according to The Oregonian.

The company says it’s the first in the North American packaging industry to certify its carbon footprint through the Carbon Trust.

StalkMarket contracted with Blue Tree Strategies to conduct the carbon footprint analysis for third-party certification through the Carbon Trust.

StalkMarket plans to account for the carbon emissions of its entire product line including the Planet Plus and Jaya brands to help identify areas where the company can work with its supply chain partners to minimize its carbon footprint and improve the environmental performance of all its products.

Earlier this year, StalkMarket claimed the world’s first Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certified compostable Ingeo hot cup and lid system. Replacing petroleum-based products with renewable materials, the containers are 100 percent compostable and are manufactured from Ingeo plant-based plastics from NatureWorks LLC.