Plastic cutlery profits enjoyed a 3.2 percent increase to $54 million [in 2004].... In an environment where cost rules the day for private label tabletop goods, Aspen Products' Schaefer challenges the private label tableware industry to remember the value of innovation.
"Absolutely there is a need to buy right, however over time the significant returns of driving out cost diminish and we must refocus on creative ways to grow the top and bottom line," he says.
"New products have always been the life blood of retailing. Don't let new ideas and innovation get lost in ongoing cost-cutting efforts. Without change and innovation in our category we become susceptible solely to price comparisons when the consumer makes the buying decision."
This out-of-the box thinking by the top minds in plastic cutlery has allowed consumers like me the option to now buy plastic cutlery in lavender!!! Thank you!!!
What is scary is how much plastic cutlery one must sell in order to make $54 million in profit, especially when one considers that private-label plastic cutlery is a subset of the overall market.
Albertson's sells plastic cutlery for $2.29 for 50 forks. Assuming 10% margin on the plastic cutlery business and extrapolating fork data, the plastic cutlery business alone creates 12 billion pieces of plastic ware a year. Ok, that is utterly insane.
I've been doing my part to fill the piggy banks of Mr. Plastic's grandkids, mowing through a couple a day while eating my lunch at work so I don't have to lug a reusable eating utensil around with me. Ok, no more.
Without further ado, the weekly tally:
A. How many bags of non-recycling garbage did I throw away last week? Just one. Not bad, but potentially untenable.
B. How many plastic water bottles this week? Zero, although a caveat which I will address in later weeks: I've been using gallon jugs at home instead of tap for some time. A subject for later, but assume I'm leaving these out for now.
C. How many styrofoam containers? Zero. Hooray for me! Last week I had two and I've been eating lunch at a few styrofoam friendly places over the last year.
D. How many plastic bags? Zero here as well, although I've forgotten to bring bags with me a few places and look like an idiot trying to carry 4 wine bottles by hand as I did last night.
E. How many paper cups? 7 -- No improvement here. Still going through one a day with my morning Americano.
F. (New Category) How many pieces of plastic silverware? -- About 10 million. I didn't count, but clearly too many and it I'm going to try and remember to bring steelware with me to work.
G. How much does my garbage weigh? Leaving this off the list from here on out. Too much of a PITA.
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