• About Green Island
• Our Menu
• Press Clippings
• Useful Information & Links
• Contact Us

Press Clippings

The Sentinel, November 25 2007

Biodegradable trays are environmentally-friendly but at three times the cost

Hoping other chippies will go green too ...

A Congleton chip shop has taken inspiration from its name by introducing biodegradable trays.

Green Island Chippy is well-known for its Gluten and Wheat-free batter and now hopes to show its green credentials too.

Co-Owners Paul and Val Barker started using the new chip trays last week and although they cost much more than non-biodegradable ones, they believe it was worth it for how it could help the environment.

Mr Barker said "How can we call ourselves Green Island if we aren't green ourselves? We have invested a lot of money and hard work into getting the biodegradable trays and as far as we know we are one of the first chip shops to use them.

"People are always talking about landfill space running out but these trays can be put onto a compost heap where they will break down into mush. They cost more but we are not passing any extra costs onto our customers. It is something we introduced because we wanted to go green so much, so we are absorbing the cost ourselves. Hopefully we will be able to encourage other chippies to go green then the cost of the materials will drop".

Green Island pays £30 for 250 of the new trays, whereas they used to pay £18 for 500 when they used non-biodegradable ones. The move comes 18 months after they replaced plastic bags with paper ones and finding greener gravy pots is next on the agenda.

Mr Barker added: "We're looking at replacements for our pea, gravy and curry pots but it is hard to find a supplier. It has taken us 18 months from when we introduced paper bags to find a supplier for the trays."

The Willow Street chippy, which celebrated 40 years of business earlier this year, takes its trade waste to be recycled and also uses fish from sustainable sources. Pollock was introduced as an alternative option to cod seven months ago and is growing in popularity. Sales of the more abundant fish have grown to around 40 per week, compared to two or three when the couple first introduced the fish on the menu. Cod sales vary between120 to 200 per week.

Mrs Barker said: "We have got a two year old grandson and when he was born we took a long hard look at the state of the world and decided that we had to take a stand and make a difference in our own little way. The fast food industry has a reputation for producing a lot of rubbish and being unhealthy but we are trying to educate the public and show that it doesn't have to be that way. If we can make a stand maybe others will follow."