My brother and I are the Green Guys. We run a fifty year old family business called Good as Gold, where we roast wholesale coffee beans and provide a coffee service. Many of our consumers used disposable plastic products but asked for greener options. When we researched these options, the prices were too high. We truly care about our environment and saw a great opportunity to do our part. We promised to create an affordable line of disposable tableware from rapidly renewable resources that would cost no more than conventional disposables. We bypassed large paper distributors who take writing profits from consumer willing to spend more for greener options, instead working with various manufacturers in creating our own line of products at a fair price.
How we came to be...
Recycling already?
Our lives are fast paced, on the run, go go go - and a lot of that movement is fueled by plastic: plastic bottles, plastic cutlery, plastic bags. Without realizing it, we are all plastic consumers, though we all want a greener, healthier environment. We proudly recycle all of our plastics and spend a little more money to purchase earth-friendly products. The Green Guys were once part of that group of purchasers. It was only through starting this company that we realized our planet is facing a major recycling crisis, and there are better solutions.
Refining Solutions
Soon after founding Mr. Green Guys, I met my Green Pal. I would use our products at home, and Mrs. Green Gal would say “No no no! In this house, we re-use! Where does your product end up anyways?” This pushed me to think deeply on the end of life cycle. I was interested in green certifications like BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute), but didn’t spend enough time thinking about where our products went.
There is one real solution: Composting!