Consolidated Services Group, a foodservice coffee trader, announced a new partnership with World Centric, a leading manufacturer of plant-based, compostable packaging for the foodservice industry. World Centric is a certified B Corporation and member of 1% For The Planet.
Across coffee shops, cafe’s and other establishments in the U.S., over 16 billion single-use coffee cups are used each year. Due to their plastic linings, traditional paper coffee cups are not accepted by most recyclers and instead sent straight to landfills.
“CSG is a great, values-aligned partner for World Centric,” said Mark Stephany, World Centric senior vice president of sales. “Our goal is to replace harmful single-use foam and plastic packaging in the foodservice industry with more sustainable, compostable alternatives. With CSG as a broker partner, we will be able to reach more foodservice operators looking to make that change.”
In 2015, CSG made a formal commitment to support social and environmental causes within the industry. Today, over 75% of CSG’s coffee suppliers are producing Fair Trade Certified coffees that positively impact farmers’ livelihoods in some of the largest coffee-growing regions around the world.
CSG will now be able to move compostable packaging solutions manufactured by World Centric to more operators through its network of over 350 distributors. This includes World Centric’s line of NoTree hot and cold cups, which are made from sugarcane and bamboo fibers instead of trees.
“We are excited to add a mission-focused partner like World Centric to our network to help them reach more operators across the U.S. and Canada with their products,” said John Salterio, CSG president and CEO. “Not only will these products help replace single-use plastics that are harmful for the environment, but 25% of profits are donated to grassroots nonprofits addressing social and environmental issues around the world.”
