1st DIY Meal Kit Service to Receive Designation
CHICAGO (June 10, 2014) – Meez Meals, Chicago’s premier do-it-yourself meal kit delivery service that provides creative recipes along with prepped and ready-to-cook ingredients, is proud to announce its new designation as a Certified Green Restaurant®. Meez Meals is the first and only DIY meal kit delivery company in the U.S. to earn this certification.
“We’re excited to celebrate this milestone by announcing Meez Meals as the country’s first meal kit delivery service to become a Certified Green Restaurant®,” says Michael Oshman, CEO and founder of the Green Restaurant Association. “Meez Meals earned 137 GreenPoints™ and will now be able to bring more environmentally sustainable meal options to its customers.”
Meez Meals has been dedicated to environmentally conscious practices since first launching in 2010. Meez Meals Founder Jen Moore incorporated a green approach into the foundation of the business, from focusing on inventive, meat-free recipes to utilizing reusable shipping materials. For example, instead of single-use cardboard boxes – as is the standard in this segment – Meez Meals delivers insulated cooler bags, which it picks up and reuses for new deliveries.
“Cooking with Meez has always been about green choices,” notes Moore. “We made sure every aspect of our business was green, from the location of our kitchen to food composting and re-usable cooler bags. Now, we are delighted to have our efforts officially recognized by the Green Restaurant Association.”
Meez Meals received the Green Restaurant® Certification after demonstrating its environmentally responsible approach within seven environmental categories, including water efficiency, waste reduction, sustainable furnishings, sustainable food, energy use, disposables and chemical reduction. Examples of its green practices include:
- Composting food waste: Meez Meals takes a proactive stance in reducing waste by composting kitchen waste and adhering to comprehensive recycling activities, including donations to local food banks.
- Reusing delivery containers: Meez Meals reuses its insulated cooler bags every week. Through its personalized delivery service, previously used coolers are collected each week to be cleaned and reused for future deliveries.
- Meatless meals: Meez Meals are meatless, which translates to lower carbon dioxide emissions and water usage, making it a smart choice for the Earth and personal health.
- Water and electrical efficiency: Meez Meals uses low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy-saving features in its production facility.
- Local, routed deliveries: Meez Meals delivers to a 1,000 square-mile area around Chicagoland in efficiently routed deliveries, minimizing the carbon footprint to deliver meals from its facility.
Meez Meals is continually implementing new green practices in its business and sharing them with families who cook with Meez Meals. In addition to its Green Restaurant® Certification, Meez Meals is also announcing a new composting program that will allow members to green their kitchens and reduce waste.
Starting June 16, Meez Meals will partner with Collective Resource, an Illinois-based home and commercial composting service, to deliver a clean compost bucket to all interested members. Collective Resource will provide composting services at no cost to each member for four weeks. This ongoing program allows members to sign up at their convenience. Following the one-month period, members will have the opportunity to sign up for regular Collective Resource composting services.
“Composting is an easy way for a family to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Moore. “We’re delighted to partner with Collective Resource so more people can experience it firsthand.”
Collective Resource serves most of Chicago and the North Shore and has composted more than 700 tons of food waste since 2010. Families can compost everything from fruits and vegetables to milk, coffee grounds, paper towels and compostable disposables. To learn more, visit www.collectiveresource.us.
About Meez Meals
Meez Meals helps Chicagoans rediscover the magic of home cooking by delivering prepped and ready-to-cook ingredients for fun, creative and delicious meals. Founded in 2010, Meez Meals is the leading do-it-yourself meal kit delivery service in Chicago. Meez Meals has been, and continues to be, at the forefront of the recipe and ingredients home meal kit delivery movement with nearly 3,500 members and more than 200,000 meals delivered to date. The company’s early and ongoing success is based on recognizing that people are happier and healthier when they sit down to a meal they cook themselves. Recipes are new each week and average from $8 to $12.50 per serving. There’s no commitment, and ingredients are delivered perfectly proportioned, prepped and ready-to-cook to 1,000 square miles around Chicagoland. Meez Meals is also a proud partner of Common Threads, sponsoring a monthly recipe program called, Meals for Good. For more information on Meez Meals overall, please visit: www.meezmeals.com.
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