Suggestion to reduce single use plastic locally

[simn]

I was taking the clean plastic trays from my dishwasher when I had a thought that if all the restaurants in the local area would accept and reuse take away boxes it would have quite an impact on the volume of plastic waste in the area.

So, this is the start of a campaign..

thanks

simn

ps is this the right section to post? or if this has been discussed before then..

[Penguin68]

I was taking the clean plastic trays from my dishwasher when I had a thought that if all the restaurants in the local area would accept and reuse take away boxes it would have quite an impact on the volume of plastic waste in the area.

In order to re-use them commercially they would have to be sterilised. Most local establishments won't have commercial sterilisers to achieve this (it's not just like washing plates, plastics can retain residues that ceramics don't). the costs of sorting, packing, transporting etc. these containers to a central sterilising unit will be higher than the costs of making and shipping new ones, I would guess.

[womanofdulwich]

They're great for blackberrying with.

[Penguin68]

With lids they are really useful for (a) storing screws, thread, components etc. - You will need labels or (b) making up single servings for posh picnics etc. Handing those out with a meal/ course inside them rather than having lots of different serving dishes can be a boon. They don't have to be single-use in your household.

[Annasfield]

I thought about this too.

Wondered if when I collected my meal I could take my own tubs. Hate all the waste we create.

[sjsl]

That's an idea Annasfield, might ask my regular curry house if they'd do that. Meanwhile agree they have lots of uses (have one full of blackberries as well) but there's a limit... maybe less takeaways is the answer :)

[fadeawayfast]

Something along these lines: https://dabbadrop.co.uk/

[chris1001uk]

Thanks for posting the link, it seems they only to deliver to Leyton, Hackney & Walthamstow at the moment but it's a really good idea and the food looks very good. They say if you email at [email protected] they'll look at other areas.

Cheers

[Nigello]

I think the only way of not making plastic waste is not using it in the first place. That is the ultimate and is unworkable for most but reduction rather than reuse or recycling has to be much more efficient in terms of reducing the amount of energy used and therefore CO2 produced. If you - or anyone else - chooses not to cut down on the number of takeaways then the other option is to reduce another aspect of consumption (eg. petrol/clothes/food/gifts/gas/electricity) to try to offset.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/19/heres-what-i-learned-from-my-privileged-western-failure-to-go-plastic-free-for-a-month is a good article that shows even the most ardent plastic-reducer will find it hard (and comments that suggest other ways of avoiding such waste).

[binkylilyput]

This is such a great post! I?ve been wondering what the solution is for plastic take-away containers for ages. I re-use them and they are very useful.....but I just have too many now.

I wish they could go somewhere to be sterilised and used again. Or better still, plastics not used for take aways at all.

Are the old fashioned foil tubs any better for the world? Anyone know?

[se22cat]

If the local restaurants who offer takeaways got together, perhaps they could offer a standardised container made from say bamboo which could be used at any of the local joints? When you buy one, a percentage of the cost could go to an environmental charity, and when you order food you could get a discount for using a reusable container, just a thought.

[Jacqui5254]

Maybe fill it with fresh food and give it to someone on the streets who could do with a meal?

Lots of people around Peckham Rye station for example...on your way to work?

Doesn't need to be fancy....could be fruit or a piece of cake.

[sjsl]

Well I think one thing we could all usefully do is raise this with any outfit we get our next takeaway from, and suggest that it would be a great marketing exercise at the very least if they started thinking creatively around this. At least they could offer a 'supply your own container' service.

[Gubodge]

I know someone who supplies their own tiffin tin to be filled with takeaway. She's based in Australia, but I don't see why they wouldn't be ok with it here. Wouldn't work with deliveries though, and I bet not many people pick their takeaways up any more.

[Sue]

I use mine to freeze stuff.

Over and over again.

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I use mine to freeze stuff.

>

> Over and over again.

7 October 2015

Reusing carrier bags for different food products such as fresh meat to cheese and bread is putting consumers at risk of biological contamination, warns an Aston academic.

As the new 5p charge is introduced for carrier bags in England, Professor Anthony Hilton claims that without understanding the need to have different bags for different uses, shoppers increase their chances of contamination from a range of bacteria.

The new charge has caused a surge in the number of ?bags for life? given out at supermarkets in the past few weeks. While admitting there are huge environmental benefits to this, Professor Hilton cautions that reusing plastic brings with it hazards which the public should be aware of to minimise any health risks.

Full article : https://www2.aston.ac.uk/news/releases/2015/october-2015/reusing-plastic-bags-a-contamination-risk

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I use mine to freeze stuff.

>

> Over and over again.

7 October 2015

Reusing carrier bags for different food products such as fresh meat to cheese and bread is putting consumers at risk of biological contamination, warns an Aston academic.

As the new 5p charge is introduced for carrier bags in England, Professor Anthony Hilton claims that without understanding the need to have different bags for different uses, shoppers increase their chances of contamination from a range of bacteria.

The new charge has caused a surge in the number of ?bags for life? given out at supermarkets in the past few weeks. While admitting there are huge environmental benefits to this, Professor Hilton cautions that reusing plastic brings with it hazards which the public should be aware of to minimise any health risks.

Full article : https://www2.aston.ac.uk/news/releases/2015/october-2015/reusing-plastic-bags-a-contamination-risk

Foxy

[Sue]

Dulwich Fox, I have used plastic takeaway containers to freeze things for years.

They go through the dishwasher after use.

I don't freeze things in carrier bags :))

[binkylilyput]

As long as people use the usual common sense around foods and bacteria then it's fine

The damage to our planet is far more alarming and risky

[womanofdulwich]

Of course. parents who lived through the war washed out every plastic bag and re used - including freezer bags. Maybe someone will invent a biodegradable liner for the mountain of takeaway boxes some people accumulate.

[DulwichFox]

womanofdulwich Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Of course. parents who lived through the war

> washed out every plastic bag and re used -

> including freezer bags. Maybe someone will invent

> a biodegradable liner for the mountain of takeaway

> boxes some people accumulate.

Did they have Freezer Bags during the war. ??

How many people in Britain had Freezers during the War. Many didn't even have Electricity

P.S. The Co-op now have Green Biodegradable Bags which can be used for wood waste.

They have instructions NOT to put in the general waste bins.

cannot remember if they are 5p 0r 10p but they hold twice as much as the 10 ltre bags

that can be quite expensive.

DulwichFox

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> womanofdulwich Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Of course. parents who lived through the war

> > washed out every plastic bag and re used -

> > including freezer bags. Maybe someone will

> invent

> > a biodegradable liner for the mountain of

> takeaway

> > boxes some people accumulate.

>

> Did they have Freezer Bags during the war. ??

>

> How many people in Britain had Freezers during the

> War. Many didn't even have Electricity

>

I think womanofdulwich means people who lived through the war were used to making do and mend etc and so would have the mindset to reuse plastic bags.

My parents lived through the war and certainly had a freezer in the seventies.

[DulwichFox]

We did not have Electricity until 1953/4 and did not have a Fridge until about 1960

we were poor.

Foxy

[edcam]

We need to move towards eliminating all of this sort of plastic.

[fatwhite]

Use it as a lunchbox, or wash it and take it to work for someone else to use it?

Working in the city, each lunchtime I'm sickened with the amount of single use plastic that is still rife and no action has been taken to discourage or reduce single use plastic with consumers.

Why are big food outlets not enforcing the 5p carry bag fee let alone the plastic packaging? I carry a lunchbox and would love to see a similar incentive carried through.