California-based Restaurant Chain Switching to Container Made from 100 Percent Recycled Plastic

From left to right: Ralph Rubio, founder of Rubio's; Craig Snedden, president of Direct Pack; and Nadim Bahou, president of Global PET.

Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill has announced that it will be the first restaurant chain in the country to use a new container made from 100 percent recycled post-consumer PET plastic. Starting in May, Rubio’s will begin using the Bottle Box salad bowl, which is the first custom-made product designed by Direct Pack Inc. and manufactured by Global PET at its Perris, Calif., facility. The companies say that the collaboration is the first in the United States to turn 100 percent post-consumer recycled PET bottles into recyclable food grade containers.

Nadim Bahou, president of Global PET, says, “The Bottle Box food packages are a culmination of over half a decade of work between us and the State of California’s Department of Recycling. The California Department of Conservation supported our efforts through a grant which allowed us bring this recycling process to life. And now, companies like Rubio’s are enhancing their green initiatives by using it in all of their U.S. restaurants.”

Direct Pack and Global PET started their collaboration on the Bottle Box in 2009. The companies sought to create, design, market, distribute and manufacture the Bottle Box food packages for the foodservice, food processing, supermarket/retailers and agricultural growers markets.

Rubio's has around 200 restaurants located in California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

The North American Bottle Box manufacturing takes place at the Global PET's facility in Perris. You can also view a Bottle Box video at www.youtube.com/globalplastics.