It all started with a restaurant delivery service. Instead of using the usual Styrofoam containers and plastic bags to hold hot and cold take-out, Aloha, We Deliver owner Jennifer Sifuentes of Kapa‘a used biodegradable, compostable and recycled products. “There were
It all started with a restaurant delivery service.
Instead of using the usual Styrofoam containers and plastic bags to hold hot and cold take-out, Aloha, We Deliver owner Jennifer Sifuentes of Kapa‘a used biodegradable, compostable and recycled products.
“There were over 3 million pounds of Styrofoam in Kekaha landfill last year,” Sifuentes said. “That’s a lot of Styrofoam.”
As demand for the biodegradable products increased, Sifuentes put the restaurant delivery business temporarily on hold.
In place of Styrofoam containers, Sifuentes sells containers made of bagasse, a by-product of the sugar refining process. Sifuentes explained bagasse is 100 percent biodegradable and is an unlimited material.
Corn plastic is used for cold take-out containers and cups. Field corn is broken down into dextrose, then fermented and distilled into lactic acid, which is transformed into pellets. The pellets are formed into clear plastic.
Cutlery is made from potato starch that can withstand temperatures of up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Plastic take-out bags are made from GMO-free cornstarch and are 100 percent biodegradable. Doggie waste bags and cat pan bags are also compostable.
“These products are from renewable resources, not fossil fuels,” Sifuentes said.
Sifuentes counts the Blossoming Lotus, Kilauea Bakery and Windward Market, among others, as clients.
“Organizations are getting involved, not just restaurants,” she said. “KIUC uses products for their office.”
Sifuentes admits the initial price of the products might be a little daunting for some.
“The cost value on it can scare people away,” Sifuentes said. “If you put the cost value on chemicals in the air, lives lost in the manufacturing process, then price doesn’t matter. It’s about the whole concept together.”
Sifuentes points out that as more restaurants, organizations and businesses order the products, the prices will go down.
In order to get the word out, Sifuentes goes around to restaurants and businesses armed with a bag of products for owners and managers to use and try out.
The products take about three weeks to come from the Mainland, which has Sifuentes carefully balancing ordering and delivery times.
“I look forward to the day when I can have a container full,” she said.
As business increases, Sifuentes has had to rent a U-Haul to make her deliveries. But she has her eye on another mode of transportation.
“I want a truck with a diesel engine,” Sifuentes said. “A friend on my street converts diesel engines to run off vegetable oil. I will call it ‘The Vegan.’”
As Sifuentes maintains her business, she is really starting to notice where the products can be used.
“The plastic containers lei come in and shave ice bowls are my next goal,” she said.
Sifuentes said she would hopefully like to change the containers used in local Meals on Wheels programs.
As Sifuentes plans to restart the restaurant delivery service soon, she is focusing on her goal for Kaua‘i.
“My main focus is cleaning things up,” she said.
For more information, e-mail fast@alohawedeliver.com or call 631-9138.
• Rachel Gehrlein, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or rgehrlein@kauaipubco.com.
