There's More than Food at the Farmer's Market

International Paper is supplying ecotainer cups and Cup Buddies® to the Memphis Farmers Market for the 2008 season.

For the first time, the Memphis Farmers Market will sell coffee and it will be served in the 12-ounce ecotainer cups. IP’s Cup Buddies, which are made of 100 percent recycled material, will also be donated to protect consumers' hands from hot cups. Because the ecotainer cup is lined with a bio-plastic made from corn, it requires less energy to manufacture and after use under the proper conditions, it will break down into water, carbon dioxide and organic matter. The discarded ecotainer cups will be collected and locally composted to renew soil.

“Consumers will notice no difference as they enjoy coffee with this cup but the environment will,” said Austin Lance, vice president and general manager of IP’s Foodservice Business. "Our ecotainer hot cup is designed to maximize use of renewable materials, reduce energy and greenhouse gas emissions required to make the product and to reflect our concern for minimizing the environmental footprint we leave behind.”

At the MFM on May 31st, you’ll still find early-spring produce such as spring onions and lots of strawberries. But more mid-season goodies are rolling in now, many of which can fill a salad bowl with pleasure: radishes, fresh young lettuce, sorrel, mâche, minutina, mizuna, colorful chard, arugula, mesclun, spinach, carrots, and fresh sprouts. Find out more...