The Takeout Conundrum
Photo from dslrninja on Flickr.com
When I order takeout from my local Thai restaurant, the amount of nonrecyclable plastic that is used to carry all that delicious food to me is absolutely out of hand. There are the thick, round plastic containers (which are no doubt a huge improvement in quality over their aluminum predecessors) as well as plasticware I simply don't need, plastic soup and rice containers, and, of course, the plastic bag that the whole thing was delivered in. And then when I think about the fact that all this plastic gets used only once, the real guilt begins to set in.
To be sure you can reuse these containers, and the latest ones are particularly (and ironically) durable, as well as microwave and freezer safe. However, how many of these can I really expect to hang on to? Because every time I order takeout, a whole new set of them comes into my life!
One option is never to order takeout, but I've never been a big fan of abstinence. Is it really an option never to order takeout? As much as I love to cook, takeout day is one of my favorite days of the week. It's really nice to be able to pick up the phone and have great food come to your door. There must be other ways to cut down on the packaging.
There's a restaurant near me, The Farm on Adderley, that uses only biodegradable containers, forks, spoons, knives, and bags for its takeout. Made of sugarcane fiber, corn starch, potato starch, or some combination thereof, these items are surprisingly durable even though they can be composted just after use. But since their biodegradability only works if you compost them, if you live in a city apartment like me, these things go into the trash as well.
Another idea I've had is for restaurants to offer a sort of "French Service" via delivery. They would bring the food to your home in their nondisposable pans, and you would greet them at the door with bowls, plates, casserole dishes, etc. The delivery person would then transfer the food into your dishes and bring his reusable dishes back to the restaurant. Granted this whole ordeal would probably cost customers more, but I might be willing to part with a couple of extra dollars if it means saving all that plastic. And on the takeout side, customers could just bring some Tupperware with them to the restaurant when they go to pick up their food.
Realistically, I don't see any restaurants offering something like this anytime soon, but I think it's time we begin to think about alternatives. We're not going to be able to waste this much plastic, without any immediate consequences, for a whole lot longer.
About the author: Jamie Forrest publishes Curdnerds.com from his apartment in Brooklyn, New York, where he lives with his wife, his daughter, and his cheese.
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16 Comments:
You might be interested in this, which I came across a while back, and talked about on our local NPR station http://kwmu.org/Programs/Commentaries/commentary.php?cid=875.
Buy the container; pay for refills.
lemons at 2:31PM on 11/26/07
I think the notion of bringing your own Tupperware for takeout isn't an unrealistic one. In fact, if you're a regular at a restaurant, and it doesn't violate health codes, they might be willing to do it for you if you ask. After all, it'll save them the cost of all the containers they would have used!
thebasilqueen at 2:53PM on 11/26/07
Yeah. For takeout (vs delivery) I've thought about trying to find some tupperware that approximates the size and shape of the typical lunch-time takeout I get.
In NYC, I've long thought that street vendors, delis, and takeout shops should create a standard set of reusable containers that they sell / exchange in lieue of all the plastic, aluminum and styrofoam.
sstrudeau at 3:29PM on 11/26/07
In Korea, alot of the delivered food is served in reusable plates and silverware that you leave outside your door for the driver to pick up once you're finished. A viable option for delivery but I'm assuming for takeout it might depend heavily on the honor system
jooree at 3:42PM on 11/26/07
Where I live you can recycle those containers.
Wide Lawns at 3:58PM on 11/26/07
The amount of trash we create in ordering take-out or fast food or even, if you stop to think of it - the packaged foods in our grocery stores - is astonishing and really (to me) sort of disgusting.
There are places in the world now and there have been places in the world in past history where non-disposables were used for food delivery, of course - but in many places our health food rules and regulations would prohibit this. The atmosphere of potential litigation that hangs over things - the burden of proof should anything go wrong - this is a huge concern in all business but particularly in the food business where timing and temperature can affect not only quality and taste but also safety.
About two years ago I consulted for a small "gourmet" take-out shop. From creating menus and recipes on to operations policies/procedures then finally defining purchasing. The owner really wanted to go "green" - to offer the least ecologically-damaging take-out containers available. We found that in order to do this, thirty to fifty cents would have to be added to each check. Now this does not sound like a lot, but in a competitive industry where people do decide their purchases based on pennies sometimes (think of auto gas for an example) it was decided that it would not be a good business move to try to implement this idea.
It's possible that in certain neighborhoods in some metropolitan areas or in certain wealthy suburban outcroppings of those metropolitan areas, the upcharge would not affect business - but in general it is supposed that it will.
Karen Resta at 4:08PM on 11/26/07
We can recycle these as well, although we keep most of them for fridge use.
The kind we get don't freeze well, though-- they get very brittle, and I've had a couple shatter and get black shards of plastic all over the food.
sidebernie at 4:25PM on 11/26/07
Here in Oregon you can recycle almost anything. Also, I personally re-use some durable take out containers prior to putting them in my recycling bin.
Scoggdog at 4:53PM on 11/26/07
Man, I love those black plastic containers. I use them for bento lunches when friends fly and I don't want them to worry about getting my box back to me, or when I'm not sure I'm going to be able to keep track of the box myself. They also make pretty good leftover holders. Reducing and recycling are both terrific, but don't forget about reusing, too!
thepictsie at 5:07PM on 11/26/07
I love the reusable tiffin idea (from the link in lemons's comment)! What I wouldn't give to be able to order delivery or takeout with a clear conscience... As it stands, the whole styrofoam/plastic thing is the reason I refuse to allow myself to order any delivery at all.
gfroerer at 5:27PM on 11/26/07
It's a great start to try to bring your stuff to a restaurant when you're getting take out, but for delivery, there is no practical solution other than eliminating the use of plastics to begin with. I think this is a situation that has to be resolved through government initiative. As Karen shows, we can't count on business to do the right thing. We need the Federal government to subsidize the emerging industries that are working on creating these biodegradable plastics made with renewable primary materials, as well as moving to ban outright the use of the plastic containers, with stiff penalties for their use and constant and consistent enforcement of the law.
seyo at 6:28PM on 11/26/07
Zero Waste: Neighborhood composting and compostable containers. There are communities (i.e. Sebastapol, CA) where there is curbside composting and industrial composters get to the right temperature to efficiently compost the corn ware that many places (where I live) now use. Our local farmers market is zero waste in the summer.
http://www.co.boulder.co.us/sustain/waste/
waterreflecting at 6:44PM on 11/26/07
Recycling is surely a boon, but it's even better if we can (1) cut down on the use of plastics in the first place, and (2) reuse these plastics as much as possible before they hit our recycling bins. I do keep all my take-out containers for future use -- I was delighted to use them to send more than a dozen people home from my Thanksgiving dinner with plenty of leftovers. I hope they will try to reuse the containers yet again before they get recycled.
wisekaren at 6:58PM on 11/26/07
What ever happened to the old-time cardboard containers that Chinese restaurants used (as in your photo)? Some places still use them and they seem far less offensive to me. I am always appalled at the waste involved whenever we order takeout and I am glad you brought this up. What also bugs me are all the extras that they throw in, tiny containers, cutlery. The policy should be upon request only.
izzy's mama at 8:49PM on 11/26/07
Did we all forget the three Rs? Reduce, reuse, then recycle. Reducing the amount of plastic we use period is better than using lots and recycling it.
jorach at 3:48PM on 11/27/07
I think the takeout companies need to look to more traditional forms of packaging from the far east. The use of sustainable local products such as bamboo leaves and stalks as well as banana leaves. These are perfectly functional for holding a huge range of food types and are entirely biodegadeable. Also in terms of urban composting, im fairly sure that i've seen window box composters on the internet before, the compost from which can then be used to help grow window box herbs to improve your cooking, its a win win situation.
jamesring at 10:47AM on 02/19/08