Welcome Boulder County Businesses!

Reusable Linens and Dinnerware

• Compare true costs. Your initial investment in reusables, over time, may prove much more economical than the continued purchase of disposables.
• Laundering reusable linens is typically less expensive than purchasing disposable items.
• Reusable dinnerware and linens drastically reduce your wastes and disposal costs.
• Reusables can enhance your ambiance, potentially expanding your clientele.

Bulk Products 

       Buy bulk for economical and environmental benefits.

• Purchasing condiments such as salt, pepper, sugar, and catsup in bulk and dispensing them in health department-approved containers is a great way to cut costs and reduce wastes. Avoid individual packets!
• Buy straws in bulk and use dispensers. Avoid individually wrapped items!
• By purchasing in bulk, you are not paying for excess packaging that will be discarded; you are only paying for the product you will use.
• Bulk products decrease your disposal costs by decreasing your waste.

Recycled and Recyclable Products   

Buying recycled-content products is a great way to reduce environmental impact.

Paper products

Ask your supplier for cups, take-out containers, napkins, and paper towels, and toilet tissue that contain post-consumer paper. These products have been constructed from waste paper that, instead of ending up in a landfill, was made into new products. Many times, recycled-content products are cheaper than products made from virgin paper because they require between 64% less energy and 58% less water to produce, and they produce 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution^*. Using post-consumer materials save natural resources while preventing materials from entering a landfill.

Plastic Products

When purchasing products in plastic containers, consider whether the container is easily recycled. There are seven different types of plastic (a number will be stamped on the bottom indicating the type of plastic). PET (#1) and HDPE (#2) plastics can be easily recycled in Boulder County. Plastics are not biodegradable, and those that are not recycled will end up in a landfill. Choose #1 & #2 plastics and provide customers and employees with recycling bins.

Like paper, some plastic products such as trash can liners are available that contain varying amounts of post-consumer recycled materials. Often these products are cheaper than virgin plastic because they did not require the petroleum or energy to produce that virgin products require. Recycling plastics rather than producing new plastic from virgin materials can reduce energy consumption by up to 75%^** per ton recycled!

Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) Certification Criteria

To receive full certification in the Partners for a Clean Environment Program, it is mandatory for restaurants to use reusable cloth towels for cleaning instead of paper products. It is also mandatory to recycle recyclable paper and plastic products. Elective criteria include using reusable linens and dinnerware, purchasing paper and plastic products made from recycled materials and buying bulk condiments.

Some Suppliers of Recycled Paper Products