How to Order Takeaway in a Sustainable Way | Luxiders

THE GOOD NEWS

As challenging as it might sound, some restaurants put impeccable effort to reduce their business’ environmental impact by prioritizing compostable or recyclable packaging. Somebody People, a plant-based restaurant in Denver, Colorado, offers reusable metal tiffin that can be bought at the restaurant. At the next order, the customer can exchange the tiffin.

Further, there are start-ups that offer reusable container system that makes it easier for the foodies as well as the restaurants. San-Francisco based Dispatch Goods delivers restaurant meals in stainless steel containers inspired by the Indian tiffin tradition. Partnering with local restaurants, Dispatch Goods uses reusable takeout containers that can be given to customers, returned for cleaning, and then used again by the restaurant hundreds of times.

In England, Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) works toward sustainability within the hospitality industry, including cutting food waste, tackling the plastic issue and using eco-friendly food packaging. We can look at which restaurants join SRA at their website; to make sure that restaurants have commitment towards sustainability. One of SRA recent projects was launched the first compostables sorting line in the UK, located in Essex. The line includes a bin lift, conveyor belt, compactor and sorting stations for trained pickers to identify and remove non-target materials such as plastics and cans. This system can ensure that the waste from the takeaway will have minimum effect to the planet. 

If we want to order food from the restaurants that don’t have green-packaging option, we can offer to use our own reusable container and pick up the food instead of using the delivery service. It is advisable to not to take anything that we already have at home like napkins and cutlery,  and make sure to mention our preference or uncheck the cutlery option if ordering through a delivery app.