Why now is the time to move away from single-use disposables in restaurants
Today, much of institutional and fast-casual dining and virtually all takeout and delivery happens using disposable foodservice ware. And all those restaurant takeout containers, bags, boxes, condiment packets, plastic utensils, cold and hot cups and lids, and napkins add up. Approximately 700 billion disposable foodservice products are used each year in the United States.
Unfortunately, all these disposables come with costs costs to the environment from natural resource extraction to climate impacts to plastic pollution; costs to restaurants from the ongoing procurement and waste management of disposables; and costs to governments and taxpayers from solid-waste removal and litter cleanup.