Eliminating Disposable Containers in the Fast Food Industry
REPLACING DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS IN THE FAST-FOOD INDUSTRY WITH
REUSABLE CUPS, PLATES AND UTENSILS
PROBLEM: It is estimated that approximately 30% of the trash discarded in the US consists of containers and packaging. For example, over 100 billion disposable cups are thrown away every year; manufacturing, transporting and disposing of these cups uses 22 billion gallons of oil, produces 26 billion pounds of CO2 and requires harvesting 20 million trees. https://www.cleanwateraction.org/files/publications/Reusable%20Foodware%20Service%20Guide.pdf
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food and food packaging materials make up almost half of all municipal solid waste. In 2014, out of the 258 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the US, more than 63 percent was of packaging materials (for food and other purposes) and, overall, only 35 percent (89 million tons) was recycled or composted. https://foodprint.org/issues/the-environmental-impact-of-food-packaging/ Styrofoam takes a million years to decompose, plastic requires hundreds of years, and most paper coffee cups are in fact not recyclable due to the plastic film used to act as a moisture barrier. https://foodprint.org/blog/environmental-impact-coffee-cup/
One third of all discarded plastic ends up in soil or in freshwater, from which it finds its way up through the foodchain as it breaks down into microplastics, which often absorb toxic chemicals like PCBs and pesticides like DDT. https://foodprint.org/issues/the-environmental-impact-of-food-packaging/
About 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year, causing countless sea animals and birds to die from physical entanglement and entrapment, or ingestion when they mistake the plastic pieces for food. ( https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/marinedebris/plastics-in-the-ocean.html ) Globally, 100,000 marine mammals die every year as a result of plastic pollution. This includes whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions (https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/plastic-in-our-oceans-is-killing-marine-mammals#gs.iftbl6 ) The United Nations has declared the plastic pollution of oceans “a planetary crisis”. According to Ocean Conservancy, “Plastic has been found in 59 percent of sea birds like albatross and pelicans, in 100 percent of sea turtle species and in more than 25 percent of fish sampled from seafood markets around the world.” It is estimated that there are billions of pounds of plastic made up of trillions of pieces swirling around the oceans, carried along by the currents. https://foodprint.org/issues/the-environmental-impact-of-food-packaging/
SOLUTIONS: Customers appreciate businesses that try to make a positive environmental impact and that help everyone become part of the solution. For example, a 2000 research study showed that 82% of Starbucks customers surveyed stated they liked the idea of reusable cups. https://www.cleanwateraction.org/files/publications/Reusable%20Foodware%20Service%20Guide.pdf
Offering a small discount to customers who bring their own containers (Starbucks offers a 10 cent discount), or charging a small fee for the use of a disposable cup are two ways to encourage the use of reusable alternatives. Other measures that have significant impact include avoiding the use of straws, coffee stirrers and plastic coffee cup lids (https://foodprint.org/blog/environmental-impact-coffee-cup/) or bringing a reusable straw ( https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-reusable-straws/ )
Many fast food restaurants have switched to reusable baskets lined with paper instead of disposable plastic, Styrofoam or paper shells for their food products (for cost analysis, purchasing sources and examples see https://www.cleanwateraction.org/files/publications/Reusable%20Foodware%20Service%20Guide.pdf and https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-reusable-straws/ ).
Options:
> encourage customers to bring their own coffee mug, straw or food containers by offering incentives and posting high impact info-graphics (see https://rethinkdisposable.org/resources )
> replace one-use containers with reusable ones (see https://www.cleanwateraction.org/files/publications/Reusable%20Foodware%20Service%20Guide.pdf )
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS: small fast food restaurants were typically able to save $2,000 to $5,000/ year in disposables costs, $1,000 in waste-hauling costs and eliminate 1,000-2,500 lbs of waste while providing faster service and seeing increased customer appreciation for their environmentally-conscious efforts
EXAMPLES: http://www.rethinkdisposable.org/businesses
BEST COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS RESOURCES / PARTNERS:
https://www.cleanwateraction.org/files/publications/Reusable%20Foodware%20Service%20Guide.pdf
OTHER REFERENCES:
https://rethinkdisposable.org/resources
https://www.stopwaste.org/sites/default/files/CA_ReTh_Foodware_02.19.15a_web.pdf
ReThinkDisposable@cleanwater.org
Tel. (415) 369-9160 ext 308
