White Castle to get greener with brown sacksWhite Castle to get greener with brown sacks

COLUMBUS Ohio White Castle, in a move to further its environmental efforts, said it would replace its white paper sack and corrugated-cardboard cases with brown ones made from 100-percent recycled material. The transition will take place over the next few weeks at all 412 locations, the company said.

White Castle, noting that this shift is part of a series of greener practices dating back to 1965 when the company started reusing and recycling the outer cartons in which its buns are shipped from its bakeries to its restaurants, said more eco-friendly initiatives are to come. They include storm water bioretention practices and the use of more environmentally gentle building materials.

Among other eco-friendly efforts, the company said it recycles about 1,200 pounds of recyclable plastics annually and has reduced its carbon footprint by about 948 tons per year through the use of LED lighting at 55 units.

“White Castle has been a responsible steward of the environment for many years in several different aspects of our businesses and operations,” said marketing vice president Kim Bartley. “This is our most recent commitment to growth of our role in the community -- emphasizing the importance of environmental concerns.”

Based in Columbus, White Castle owns and operates 412 restaurants in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, New Jersey and New York.