Let’s get rid of plastic takeaway food containers

July is plastic free July month. This is the second of four articles prepared by the See-Change WasteLess group, focused on different ways of reducing single use plastic in our lives. One area in which we can reduce single use plastics is not using plastic takeaway food containers. Globally, over 78 million metric tonnes of plastic packaging is produced every year. It’s projected that plastic production will increase by 40% by 2030. The packaging industry is the largest user of virgin plastics with most of these used only once for food packaging, shopping bags and beverage bottles. Only 9% of plastics are recycled globally! You can reduce your use of plastic takeaway containers by:

1. Preparing food at home instead of takeaway

2. Eat-in at your favourite restaurant or café

3. Avoiding restaurants and cafes that use plastic takeaway containers when dining in.

4. Take your own containers to shops such as delicatessens, seafood suppliers, butchers etc

5. Take your own containers when dining out to take home any uneaten food.

Examples of take your own containers are silicon collapsible containers that you can carry in your handbag; stainless steel Tiffin tins or lunch boxes. Whilst many may be reluctant to do so at the moment because of COVID-19, asking will keep reminding takeaway food outlets that people are concerned about plastic takeaway containers and would prefer to use their own containers. Another option is to encourage takeaway food outlets to replace plastic containers with alternatives. However, it can be confusing knowing if the containers will actually break down and not stay around in landfill for centuries. Some containers (e.g. boxes and trays made of paper, sugarcane clamshells) will decompose in home compost bins. Others (e.g. bioplastics) require industrial-level composting to ensure they break down. The commercial composting facilities utilise different processes such as hot composting and operate at much higher temperatures than will be found in home compost bins. This website displays a range of such containers, illustrating how confusing it can be, to work out if your takeaway container will decompose in your home compost bin or if it can be placed in your recycling bin. A simple question to ask your takeaway seller when presented with a takeaway container is: how do I best dispose of this packaging?

Imagine the impact we could make if everyone carried a food container for their takeaway meals or leftovers after a restaurant meal or took their own containers when food shopping!

Want to take action on waste? Join WasteLess! To sign up, email peter.lecornu@gmail.com