As reliance on takeout food grows thanks to the coronavirus pandemic
— and with it, the amount of waste generated by every meal — one Bay Area restaurant is exploring an alternative by making reusable packaging a mandatory part of the off-site dining experience.
Prior to the pandemic, takeout made up just a small part of the weekly routine at full-service restaurant Zuni Café in San Francisco. It would go through about 150 takeout boxes in a week.
Now, under California’s most recent coronavirus restrictions on indoor and outdoor dining, Zuni's usage has increased by more than 100%. The rise in material waste worried chef and owner Nate Norris, but at the same time it was far from his biggest concern.