Mad about composting

Presented by Mad Radish, Official sponsor of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend Finish Line VIP Tent

Let’s talk about a topic near to our hearts: reducing waste. The fact is, when you’re selling quick-service food, it’s a topic that’s hard to avoid. Those one-use bowls, cups and forks can add up fast. At Mad Radish, we’ve committed to using 100% compostable materials in ALL of our packaging. Bowls? Yep. Cups? Yep. Cutlery? Of course! Sure, it costs more…but can we really afford not to?

We send all of our food and packaging waste to a nearby composting facility, and they turn it into high-quality soil. Since we started out, we’ve diverted 100 metric tons of waste from the landfill. Just for reference, that’s about fourteen elephants! 

Our warm bowls come in packaging made from wheat straw, a gluten-free, non-allergenic material produced from agricultural waste. Wheat straw is sturdy and strong, microwave and freezer safe, and best of all…100% compostable. And compared to paper or Styrofoam containers, it’s a total environmental win. Paper uses over 3 times more wood than wheat straw – and way more toxic chemicals.  Wheat straw manufacturing uses three times less energy than making Styrofoam, and ten times less energy than wood mills for paper.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is also actively working to implement green initiatives. In recent years, they have looked for opportunities to reduce resource dependencies, limit environmental impacts, and support local charities by making key decisions to support sustainable growth. All bottles, paper or plastic cups, are recycled, and it was one of the first races in the industry to recycle mylar heat blankets. During the weekend, Canadian Plastics Industry Association, Wittman Battlefield and the Ottawa Titans Water Polo team service over 20 recycling stations for organics, paper, plastics and mylar heat blankets. Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is committed to contributing to the circular economy and reducing its—and your—carbon footprint.

As you can see, this is something we’re all pretty passionate about. And as we continue to grow and learn, we hope to do more and more to protect this frankly awesome planet. Want to help reduce plastic waste? Here are some everyday changes you can make to help out.

  • Skip disposable coffee cups and use a travel mug instead
  • Say no to plastic straws, use stainless steel 
  • Never buy bottled water
  • Reuse plastic tubs from takeout or food items to store dry goods or leftovers
  • Buy dish soap and laundry detergent in cardboard boxes, not plastic bottles

 

Mad Radish

Mad Radish (CNW Group/Mad Radish)