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By Ryan Call Eco-Cycle Outreach Coordinator

Handling to-go and delivery waste from our favorite local restaurants is one Zero-Waste topic that we can act on, at both an individual and systemic level. According to the article “Global Food Delivery Trends 2018 vs. 2021,” the number of delivery orders nearly doubled just in 2020, and the amount of disposable food service ware items, including takeout containers and cutlery, have also skyrocketed. It’s time to think outside the (to-go) box and find sustainable solutions! Let’s talk about how to properly dispose of the different types of take-out containers.

Plastic containers, including hinged “clamshell” boxes and plastic soup tubs with lids, are recyclable in your curbside recycling bin, or at the Erie Recycling Center (1000 Briggs St.). Some restaurants use aluminum containers with a clear plastic lid, both of which are also recyclable. Please remember to make sure there is no leftover food in your containers and rinse before recycling them!

Having spoken with several restaurants in Erie, one question kept popping up: are pizza boxes recyclable? If the pizza boxes are not greasy, then yes, corrugated cardboard pizza boxes can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin or at the Erie Recycling Center. If the pizza box is greasy, then it should be composted through a curbside compost collection service.

Containers and disposable cutlery that say “BPI Certified” are industrially compostable through a curbside collection service. These items are meant to decompose at an industrial facility, not in your backyard compost. Paper takeout containers that do not say “BPI Certified” may be coated with plastic. In that case, they should be put in the trash because it is important to keep any plastic out of the compost stream. Some compostable containers look just like plastic but say “#7 PLA” on the bottom, and/or “BPI Certified.” These plastics are made from corn or other plant content and can also be industrially composted.

Trash these take-out containers and disposables

Unfortunately, several types of takeout containers are neither recyclable nor compostable and should be put in the trash. Foam polystyrene (a.k.a “Styrofoam”) containers, plastic-lined paper boxes that are often used in Chinese food restaurants, condiment containers and pouches, and plastic cutlery should all go in the trash.

One simple action you can take to reduce waste is to politely let the restaurant know that you don’t need any extra cutlery, condiments or napkins in your order. Many people have a drawer or box full of unused service ware items! By reducing unnecessary items in the first place, you’re reducing waste and saving restaurants money.

There is a growing #SkipTheStuff movement to reduce unnecessary food service ware by changing the default behavior to “opt-in” instead of “opting-out” of extra items like napkins, straws, plastic cutlery, etc. This may seem like a small action, but think about how much unused service ware could be saved if we “opted in” to get specific items instead of having to “opt-out.” Postmates, a food delivery service, switched to an “opt-in” system and reported to have reduced 122 million packs of unnecessary plastic cutlery, saving restaurants a total of $3.2 million.

There are even policy solutions to fix the larger system that has created so much unnecessary waste. In 2021, the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act was signed into law and will phase out polystyrene takeout containers and cups across Colorado by 2024. And, just last month, a new “skip the stuff” bill was introduced in the Colorado state legislature that would require restaurants to only include single-use serviceware and condiments by customer request only. You can support this policy by contacting your state representative and letting them know that you’re ready to #SkipTheStuff! Restaurants listen to their customers, and informing them of more sustainable options, such as an “opt-in” policy or using compostable and recyclable items can create a lasting impact.

Eco-Cycle is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit recyclers and Zero Waste organizations in the U.S. Eco-Cycle innovates, implements and advocates for local and global Zero Waste solutions to foster a more regenerative, equitable and climate resilient future. For more information: www.ecocycle.org

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