| Valley eateries start buying compostable products |
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Every time customers dropped their plastic plates and cups into the garbage, Patricia Christofolo cringed. As the owner and chief executive officer of Santa Barbara Catering, Christofolo felt guilty for adding to the nation's growing landfill problem and being environmentally insensitive when everyone else seemed to be going green. The Tempe-based business caters events across the Valley, but the bulk of Christofolo's business is at the Farm at South Mountain, a 12-acre organic farm established in 1920 to promote self-sufficiency. And the irony of appearing environmentally insensitive there was rich. "I could not stand it to be at the Farm and watch all that plastic going into the trash," she said. "And recycling isn't supported by the cities for business." So Christofolo began looking for greener alternatives. After some searching, her paper supplier, Reed Paper, found some compostable products. The cups use polylactic acid, or PLA, are made entirely of corn; the paper plates are made of bamboo or recycled fiber. The utensils are made from potato or cornstarch and, in some cases, birch wood. Bookmark this page!      |
| Source: | azcentral.com |
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