Turn A Pizza Box Into Serving Plates And A Leftovers Container

@pixelzen: Yes, I too store my pizza in the box, however this box is half the size, and since I generally don't have an entire pizza left, that's quite convenient. Also, if you use an alternative reusable box for storing it sometimes, you probably throw that into the dishwasher when you're done with it, right? Well there goes some energy you put into washing that as well as all that water being used. No, one box isn't going to prevent you from using the dishwasher, but over time it adds up.

Also, if I were to offer you a dollar and then gave you 80 cents, would you say 'oh that's the same thing'?

That is one of my all-time favorite commericials. I often find myself randomly acting out the end. Well, not randomly b/c there's always a trigger. Love it.

jupiterthunder

@Applyin'Sunscreen_GitEmSteveDave: I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.

stopsucking

I think this is cool. As others have stated, half of the box is far easier to store in the fridge than the whole box (especially if you're, say, at a hotel or something) and, in some cases, this will save aluminum foil or something that we would need to use instead.

And if the box is not very recyclable with oils/cheese on it, it wasn't going to be recyclable before you tore it up and refolded it, so that's really a moot point.

I love it! If Pizza Hut started using these it could change the world.

SphereCat1

@ddouthitt:

Is the patent on the concept of easily creating plates/storage out of the box, or the design itself (i.e., the specific pattern of perforations?)

kftgr

@AnnetteDeevoy:

And that water savings is not to be taken lightly!

kftgr

@infmom: I live alone, but my fridge design has shelves that slide in and down to lock, so while they are full height in the front, the triangle support extends 2-3" down in the back, taking up a lot of space. It would require me to clear off my top shelf, which is WAY easier than it sounds.

@Applyin'Sunscreen_GitEmSteveDave: On the rare occasions when my son can't polish off the pizza, we usually manage to stack the box on top of what's already in the fridge. That's only if there are more than two slices left, though.

@Shadowman615:
And if you're at a location lacking real dishes?

This is a staple of my school's drama club's lunches.

@daddydave and ddouthitt: This box has been modified significantly and made useful after the fact. Your analogy is ridiculously stupid and totally unrelated.

You're argument is like saying, the guy who invented coffee cup sleeves should not be able to patent his invention because it's made of cardboard and cardboard already exists!

atomicrabbit

@Shadowman615: Oh come now. We've all had those nights where you order pizza and ask them to send along a few extra paper plates just because you don't feel like cooking or doing dishes that night. And I really don't see how eating off a piece of a pizza box is less dignified than eating off a paper plate.

HeartBurnKid: Agent of R.O.A.C.H.

I'm sorry but this is a little too ghetto. Maybe this is cool for college students, but I'd prefer to eat off my real dishes like an adult.

Shadowman615

@tbrunner: Less, actually, as rarely do people store pizza in their fridge w/o wrapping it.

@MostlyHarmless: Surely you can't be serious!

Old.

angelzero

@ktspaz: I demand only new ideas from all web sites. If it hasn't been discovered, documented, and posted in the last 24 hours, don't bother because I already know EVERYTHING.

Denver80203

@jupiterthunder:
I agree. This may be a clever solution for some people (we already eat out of the box and store leftovers in the box), but it doesn't seem all that green. The same amount of material still ends up in the waste stream.

tbrunner

@AnnetteDeevoy:
Here in Dallas pizza boxes are not recyclable because of the food stains

@Applyin'Sunscreen_GitEmSteveDave: It's a building with patients, but thats not important right now.

@nikaru: That gives me an idea to make the box itself out of pizza for the ultimate green! I just need to tell people to put them all in plastic bags for sanitary reasons—uh-oh.

I've been making plates out of the pizza box for years. Back in High School in one of our small classes we got pizza almost every friday (we payed) and would make plates out of the box as we never had any plates.

In our family, we usually do this ripping the cardboard box as plates to save on dish washing. Similarly, someone gets two pieces when no one's looking as seen in the video at 33-36 sec.

But...storing the pizza in a cardboard box is a death knell to the pizza. The cardboard extracts the moisture out of the pizza and you are left with, well, cardboard slices.

Using the lid for plates is a great idea, though.

Bob Woolard

If it's one think Unkie Herb taught us, it's that discarded pizza boxes are an excellent source of cheese.

This reminded me of one of my favorite commercials. To this day, when someone goes, what is that, in my head I think "A pterodactyl!".

@pixelzen: Some of us have smaller refrigerators/food in them, and large pizza boxes don't fit in so well, so we tend to take the piza out and wrap/place it in small containers.

@Platypus Man: It seems like the gawker sites share lots of stories with each other. Also specifically on LH, I feel like they have reused many articles before.

@ddouthitt: You're not the only one. Maybe the guy who first used a CDROM tray as a cupholder should go patent that, too.

So..

I was wondering where he was going to put those last four slices while he ripped up the rest of the box. Guess he was wondering that, too.

Hence the title of the post

A similar product called Pizza Box 2000 was featured on the reality TV show "Dragons' Den", where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to wealthy business people. They had Jim Treliving on the panel, the guy who owns Boston Pizza and who knows the industry. All of the "Dragons" turned the idea down, because Jim turned it down. He didn't think that pizza store owners would want to use it.

Someone different presented the re-usable Pizza Pak, to be returned when the next pizza order was delivered, then washed and sterilized and reused again. They turned that down too (it was the grossness factor of your food in a piece of plastic someone used for who knows what).

JessCurious

Looks good...

Type1

@jupiterthunder: You're not washing 4 plates, so less detergent, water, and energy used. Delivery? Well, someone needs to get the pizza, and the only difference between me getting the pizza and the delivery guy dropping it off is that he often has 3 other pies to deliver, conserving fuel. He also probably has a more fuel efficient car, since they usually drive miserly used cars. Less impact than a new car.

bottledviolence

@pixelzen: If the boxes can't be recycled based on the oils, then that doesn't change, but the idea is that something can be done with the box before just throwing it out.

If you eat straight out of the box, you are throwing out the box afterwards. This way, it has a secondary use that doesn't cost anything extra.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. This is less about the first and last but is very much about the middle.

kuroki

Cool idea, but the plates look a bit small. And who eats only one slice of pizza?

@AnnetteDeevoy: Greasy pizza boxes are not recyclable. Oil and food particles contaminate the paper. They are compostable, though.

Graciela

@ktspaz: I saw it today,,, here.

LetMeSayThisAboutThat...

OOOOOOOLLLDDDDDAAAAAAAARRRGHHHH...!
No, seriously, clever idea, but so old it should be reality by now...and it isn´t.

but once the box gets all greasy and soggy, no one "REALLY" wants to touch it.

@jupiterthunder: It's not delivery. IT'S DIGIORNO!

@nikaru: they are.....aren't they?

i thought it was good fiber or something

@dtstuff9: I did some searching, and I think I saw it when Gizmodo posted in in April -- http://gizmodo.com/5234663/this-pizza-comes-from-the-future......

Platypus Man

@jupiterthunder:
I agree. Store leftover pizza in the box - not a new concept. Plus my friends and I eat it straight out of the box, thus no need for plates.

They claim their GreenBox is manufactured from 100 recycled and "recyclable" corrugated cardboard.

But, Domino's states that more than 80% of the corrugated board used in their boxes is already made from recycled paper and the company encourages its customers to recycle their box packaging... so isn't that basically the same thing?

I thought the boxes that comes with the pizza are to be eaten too...

I saw this ages ago, good to see Lifehacker brings some attention to it.

But how recyclable is that box after its been covered in oils and sauce? I can't imagine very much. However, I do like the four plates, it certainly would save my family a few dishes.

AnnetteDeevoy

@ddouthitt: how is this idea being patented, appalling? Someone thought of this, and wants to sell it. It's a new invention made from a common (previously useless after dinner) item!

It's an excellent idea that I've never heard of or thought of before. They're manufacturing this product and probably selling it to pizza restaurants. Good on them for patenting it.

atomicrabbit

@outerfringe:
4 months and 10 days on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQBjJjpkjl0

You probably saw it on digg a few months backs
http://digg.com/food_drink/The_Pizza_Box_of_the_Future_Has_Arrived

dtstuff9

Another interesting recycleable: Boing Boing blog postings, themselves recycled from other blogs, and so on, and so on...

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/04/29/video-the-pizza-box.html

@ktspaz: You're not alone. This video was posted to vimeo four months ago.

I fail to see how this is "green". I suppose using the box for plates instead of other paper plates. Beyond that, I'm already storing the extra pizza in the box or some other reusable storage container. If we're talking green, it seems to me we focus on the materials used and how they breakdown or some usage for the box after the pizza is gone.

And that better not be delivery. Unless of course, the pizza guy is driving a Prius. But what pizza guy can afford a Prius?

jupiterthunder

@Drak_Incendie:

Which one of us? The me or the guy with pit stains?

jupiterthunder

Magoo's Pizza here in the Philippines had been using that type of box since the 90's

obelix

@vbdesigned:
Didn't you hear? They're dropping 'Pizza' from the name. They're going to be 'The Hut'.

Jabba, anyone?

ericesque

@ktspaz:
same here. maybe on digg or as a related video to something posted on lifehacker?

ericesque

I don't remember where, but I know i saw this like 3 months ago.

ktspaz

@enYallione: Yeah, I'm hoping a company calling itself Environmentally Conscious Organization, Inc. isn't going to destroy its own green innovations by making them too costly to license.

reynwrap582

Cool idea! It would be nice to see the pizza places using this. I usually have leftovers when I order pizza, so this would be useful.

Yes, I saw you taking two slices... Thats right you in the white t-shirt.

Drak_Incendie

@ugadawg: Well the articles does say the pizza box is from the future, so it is merely foreshadowing this posting of it. ;)

I like the concept, but am afraid the patent might make it never see widespread usage.

Am I the only one who finds the idea that this is patented to be appalling? What will patents cover next? Business methods?

Oh wait, they do now...

I love the idea, though I can't imagine myself ever using the storage part (partially because my family and I usually devour the pizza so there's nothing left to store). But I love the serving plates! Friends and I use to do that back in college.

DepressedMan

Absolutely beautiful in its simplicity. The elegance of good design is quite a thing to behold.

Pharmacy

what a GREAT idea, now if only Pizza Hut or someone like that would USE them!!

vbdesigned

Wasn't this posted a while back? Is Lifehacker going retro? :-) Yeah, found it on sister site Gizmodo.

http://gizmodo.com/5234663/this-pizza-comes-from-the-future...