Skip the Stuff goes live in Cleveland Heights

Starting Oct. 1, nine restaurants in Cleveland Heights will take a bold step toward reducing single-use plastic waste with the launch of the “Skip the Stuff” pilot program. Led by CHGT, this three-month initiative invites participating restaurants to provide food-ware accessories—such as straws, utensils, napkins, and condiment packets—only upon customer request.

The pilot supports the city’s Climate Forward Action & Resilience Plan, adopted by CH City Council in April 2025. Specifically, Strategy 3.2.3 calls on restaurants to minimize single-use plastics through “upon request” policies. The goal: Reduce landfill waste, curb petrochemical pollution, and foster a healthier, more resilient community.

Every year, billions of unused accessories are automatically included in takeout and delivery orders across the U.S., only to be discarded unused. U.S. restaurants and food-service businesses use nearly 841 billion pieces of disposable food ware and packaging annually—79% tied to takeout and delivery. 

The restaurants participating in this pilot program are: Aladdin’s, Dewey’s, Foodhisattva, Luna Bakery, Mister Brisket, Phoenix Coffee, Stone Oven, Zhug, and  Zoma. Each will adjust dine-in and take-out practices to make accessories opt-in, supported by training materials, signage, and digital assets provided by CHGT.

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