Beebe taps new green products for food service

Beebe Medical Center, with a focus on being a better steward of the environment, has begun using Tater Ware, Earth Cup and Greenware product lines of biodegradable, food-service containers and utensils. These products, made from plants, are approved by the Federal Department of Agriculture for direct food contact and are alternatives to the traditional plastic products made from petroleum.

The specific environmentally friendly items Beebe Medical Center already has integrated into its restaurants and patient rooms include disposable knives, forks and spoons; two sizes of plates; and cups for hot and cold drinks; and straws. They are found in both of Beebe Medical Center’s restaurants at the main campus in Lewes, and on the food trays served to hospital patients.

“We are continually looking at ways in which we can be better stewards of our natural resources - not just within our walls, but wherever we can have a positive influence in Sussex County,” said Jeffrey M. Fried, Beebe Medical Center president and CEO.

For years, Beebe has looked for ways to decrease its effect on the environment. It recycles several products including aluminum cans, plastic bottles, batteries and cardboard to decrease the amount of waste that goes to landfills.

This year, leadership began to focus on ways to replace the familiar white foam plastic commonly known as Styrofoam. Studies have shown Styrofoam does not break down when buried in a landfill or discarded in an open space. It is difficult to recycle because of cost and lack of market demand for the recycled product. Its familiar tiny white bubble remnants sprinkle the dunes in Cape Henlopen State Park and litter grasses along county roads.

“We currently use 289,000 plastic foam cups each year at Beebe Medical Center, and these cups go directly into landfills in Sussex County, where they will remain for potentially hundreds of years,” said Fried. “Styrofoam has become a serious problem for our environment due to the amount of these products found in our landfills. It litters our natural habitats where it is not only unsightly but where it is also a potential health hazard for birds, fish and other small animals.”

The manufacturing of these plastic foam products also has brought about health concerns for workers exposed to carcinogens, as well as concerns for the deterioration of air quality in general. Some U.S. cities and counties have banned them, and there are numerous other communities along the nation’s coast and natural waterways that are looking to do the same thing.

After researching a variety of products, Beebe’s Nutritional Services and Purchasing departments this summer began ordering the Tater Ware knives, forks, spoons and some plates. Tater Ware, manufactured by Biodegradable Food Service LLC of Bend, Ore., is made out of potato starch that is guaranteed not to have been genetically altered. It is safe for the freezer and the microwave.

Beebe also introduced cups by Earth Cup for hot drinks, which are taking the place of the white Styrofoam cups. Earth Cup, also made by Biodegradable Food Service LLC, are made of paper, reinforced with recycled paper, and lined with a natural coating made from sugar cane and cornstarch.

“These are good products,” said Kathi Fryling, Beebe Medical Center Nutritional Services director. “They have received a positive response from both patients and staff, and we have found them to be competitively priced.” Fryling said the products are being integrated with many of the container and utensil products Beebe uses and are replacing some existing items when they need to be reordered. She is continually looking at different products to see which environmentally friendly ones she can obtain.

“Beebe Medical Center is definitely one of the leaders in Delaware when it comes to the use of eco-friendly products,” said Max Wicks, president of research and development at Delaware Energy Solutions, a company marketing these products in Delaware.