Thoughtful Take-Out

By Ashley V.

How often would you say you get take-out? Once a day? Once a week? Every few weeks? We are not here to judge; we have all ordered and enjoyed take-out. However, while ordering take-out is convenient, easy, and helps local restaurants, especially during Covid, it comes at a cost. The cost of single-use plastic and Styrofoam (aka polystyrene foam). 

You may think that plastic not bad because you can recycle it, but it isn’t that easy. Did you know that we produce about 300 million tons of plastic waste every year? That is almost the same weight as the entire human population.¹ We simply do not have the infrastructure in place to recycle all of that plastic. Even if we did, not all plastics are created the same and cannot be recycled together. It quickly becomes very convoluted and confusing when trying to figure out which plastics are recyclable. Even when recycled, the plastic degrades in quality over time, so you cannot recycle it endlessly.

“Researchers estimate that more than 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the early 1950s. About 60% of that plastic has ended up in either a landfill or the natural environment.”

unenvironment.org 

In cahoots with plastic is Styrofoam, aka polystyrene foam. You know, the foam container that helps keep your food or beverage warm, and when you are done eating, you aren’t quite sure whether you can recycle it. Don’t be fooled by the recycling logo on the bottom of the container. Just because it has the emblem DOES NOT MEAN it is recyclable. Most curbside recyclers do not accept this polystyrene foam. You can do more damage by putting it into your recycling bin because it can cause entire loads of recycled materials to be rejected.² Be sure to check out your local areas recycling guidelines to prevent these types of “contaminations.” Much like plastic, it lasts an incredibly long time in our landfills and environment, and some estimate that it takes 500 years to decompose, while others say longer.³ 

As you know, take-out orders come with several single-use plastics and almost always come in a polystyrene foam containers. So this area of our lives creates several opportunities for sustainable action. Below are several tips, tricks, and strategies to make your take-out a little more sustainable. 

Actionable Tips:

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Refuse the Plastic Straws

Invest in a reusable straw! They come in all different kinds, glass, metal, silicone, and can easily be cleaned and used again. I keep mine in a reusable bag in my purse for easy access and convenience. It is just a simple act that can help cut down on the single-use plastic in your take-out (or even dine-in) meal. Don’t have a reusable straw? Go without the straw. If you don’t need to have one, then why get one? 

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Forgo the set of Plastic Silverware 

If you are taking your food home or to your office, then use real silverware. It is as simple as telling the cashier that you do not want the set of plastic silverware that comes wrapped in plastic along with your meal. 

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Ask for Fewer Napkins 

For some reason, they always hand you a huge stack of napkins that are just unnecessary. You only need one, maybe two napkins per person, and if you are taking the food home to eat where you can use your cloth napkins, you don’t need those napkins at all. Save the paper, reduce the waste and ask for less. 

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Bring a Reusable Coffee Cup

Whenever possible (Check with local Covid-19 restrictions at your local coffee shop), bring your reusable cup to your coffee shop. It cuts down on the foam cups that end up in the landfill over time. Does your coffee shop use paper cup? Well, you might think this is better because paper is recyclable, but in reality, that cup is a mix of plastic and cardboard so that your drink doesn’t leak. Once paper and plastic are combined, they cannot be separated, so you cannot recycle them, or at the very least, they are extremely difficult to recycle. The most sustainable option is to bring your reusable cup. 

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Refuse the Condiments

Whenever you order take-out, it comes with single-serving condiment packets/containers. If you are taking the food home to eat, you will most likely have the necessary ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, ranch, etc., at home that you can use instead. Thus, not needing the extra plastic that comes with the meal. 

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Say “No” to the Plastic Carry Out Bag

If you are only ordering take-out for yourself or a small number of people, most likely, you can easily carry those couple of containers without needing a plastic bag. Now, you have the opportunity to forgo the plastic bag and make your order just a little more sustainable. 

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Overall, we need to avoid plastic and Styrofoam as much as we can. We encourage you to be more thoughtful with your take-out orders. Don’t be afraid or nervous to ask for these sustainable changes to your meal. You have the right as the consumer to ask for these changes. Stand up and let your voice be heard because the more we demand sustainable changes, the sooner we will see change. 

Resources:

1-https://www.unenvironment.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/ 2-Is Styrofoam recyclable?
3-Styrafoam Facts-Why you may want to bring your own cup