Introduction

Have you ever gone out to eat at a sit-down restaurant? I am guessing the answer to that question is “yes”. What kind of silverware did they give you? Now that sounds like a silly question, but I promise you it is not. Now for the fancy restaurants you would say metal utensils and a cloth napkin, right? Have you ever thought about how many restaurants make you eat with plastic silverware? Restaurants are giving you these utensils even though you are dining in. Why is that though? Maybe they are too lazy to do dishes, maybe it is just easier for them, or maybe they just need a little boost to help them change. Why is recycling becoming such a big problem and how can we help reduce the amount of single use plastics being used in our everyday environment?

Research Question And Objective

Why is recycling becoming such a big problem and how can we help reduce the amount of single use plastics being used in our everyday environment? This is an important question because pollutants and waste are starting to overtake parts of this world and are starting to endanger our environment; therefore, it is important to look into ways that we can help make a change in unnecessary usages of plastic waste. There has been an increasing rise in plastic waste ever since Covid. Ever since Covid, companies have wanted to be extra sanitary. Even though Covid isn't as big of a deal, companies are still implementing the same precautions as they did during Covid (Wang et al., 2023). We need to realize that we all have an important role to play when it comes to making a change. One role we can take is spending our money on companies that are actively trying to become more eco friendly. A lot of people believe that companies should be trying to start environmentally friendly practices, but they are not helping prove that (“Sustainability in restaurants:...”). We need to start looking into this before it is too late and we are at a point where we cannot turn back and try and fix these things. Plastic waste is becoming a big problem, and if we do not try and fix it now, we will not be able to fix it later.

What is the big problem?

Using plastic items that are thrown away after one use is a big problem worldwide right now, even though people know about it, companies care, and there are rules to reduce it. The amount of this kind of plastic waste increased from 133 million tons in 2019 to 139 million tons in 2021. That's an increase of 6 million tons globally during that time. The challenge of tackling single-use plastics and promoting recycling is significant and multifaceted. Plastics, with their long-lasting presence, pose a serious threat to our environment, especially in oceans and waterways, where they harm wildlife and ecosystems. Additionally, the production and disposal of plastics contribute to climate change and resource depletion. Addressing this requires collective action amongst individuals, businesses, and governments. Consumers must opt for reusable alternatives and support sustainable businesses, while governments enact regulations, promote recycling infrastructure, and incentivize biodegradable materials. Innovation and education are essential, alongside improvements in waste management. Through these concerted efforts, we can mitigate the environmental impact of plastic waste, preserving the planet for future generations.

Continuously using single-use plastic can have severe environmental consequences. It contributes to plastic pollution, which harms wildlife, contaminates water sources, and damages ecosystems. Understanding these factors helps us grasp why people make certain choices. Businesses can use this knowledge to develop strategies that encourage people to use fewer plastic utensils. By doing so, we can collectively work towards reducing our environmental footprint and preserving the planet for future generations.

Why is there so much plastic waste?

Key pieces to this problem that could change

Alternate Ideas 

1. Bring your own reusable utensils to sit down restaurants 

   • This will eliminate the issue with restaurants handing out plastic utensils 

2.  Say "no" to utensils when ordering take out

   • This keeps those plastics from getting outside of the restaurant and into the environment 

   • You do not need plastic utensils if you are just planning on going home to eat your takeout

3.  Switch from plastic utensils to other materials such as:

   • Bamboo

   • Wooden

   • Compostable plastic

   • Edible materials

   • Glass

Alternate Ideas

1.  Bring you own reusable cups

   • It will help get ride of plastic cups being handed out

   • Restaurants should encourage you to bring your own cups when eating at their business

2. Switching to other materials such at:

   • Compostable plastics

   • Paper

   • Bamboo

   • Plant based

Alternate Ideas 

1. Bring your own containers for restaurant to put takeout food in

2. Say "no" to plastic containers 

   • If a restaurant put your food into plastic containers even when you are eating in, say no

   • Make policy's to stop restaurants from handing out unneeded plastic containers

3. Use other materials such as:

   • Compostable materals

   • Paper

   • Edible packaging 

   • Cardboard

   • Wooden containers 

Methods

Conducting a mixed methods research project that focuses on consumer and producers perspective on plastic usage and waste. When it comes to data collection, I think that mixed methods will be the best for this research. Including two different surveys to give out to people, along with research/data on alternative materials instead of plastic. One of the surveys is meant for the consumers while the other is meant for the distributors (restaurants). Including these two different surveys allows you to see the different viewpoints from both sides of this problem. The survey for the consumers will be a quantitative survey in hopes to get a mass amount of responses that will include general viewpoints on single use plastics. The other survey, which is for the restaurants, will be a qualitative study meant to get all of their thoughts on if and why they are giving out single use plastics. 

One key part of a mixed methods study is figuring out who your sample group is. For the consumer survey, focusing on college students is the best option. Sending out a survey to GVSU students is a good sample side for this study. College students go out to eat or use single use plastic the most. Using them allows for good insight on their opinion on single use plastics and what they want to happen in the future. For the second survey, using restaurants close to the GVSU campus will allow for a good test and allow us to compare the two different surveys. Incorporating restaurants of different styles and sizes is also good for this study. This helps strengthen our study by getting results from a variety of restaurants; whether it is fast for or sit.