Restaurants: Reduce Costs and Waste with Reusables
Restaurants: Preventing Single-Use Serving Ware Waste
By replacing single-use serving ware with reusables, restaurants can save money while significantly reducing waste in the community. Additionally, restaurants may even be able to switch to a lower level of waste collection service, saving even more money.
The Clean Water Fund provides resources to restaurants and other food-serving businesses to aid them in reducing waste by shifting from single-use disposables to reusable serving ware. Please view their comprehensive Reusable Food Serving ware Guide to learn more.
The City would like to pilot a reusable takeout container program and is seeking restaurant partners. If you are interested in the program, please contact recycling@encinitasca.gov
Cost-Savings
Restaurants can easily calculate potential costs savings from switching to reusables by using the Single-use to Reuse Savings Calculator from UPSTREAM Solutions.
Click here to see potential cost-savings.
Simple Reusable Swaps!
Every small change to reduce waste is a beneficial one. Restaurants can begin swapping reusable items for disposables as it makes sense for their business. Here are a few small, but impactful changes for in-person dining
- Plastic utensils -> silverware
- Plastic salsa cups -> metal or ceramic salsa cups
- Plastic or paper wax-lined beverage cups -> reusable plastic cups
For more examples, check out the Reusable Food Serviceware Guide
COVID-19 and Reusables
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC),“The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person…between people who are in close contact with one another, through respiratory droplets.” In addition, “It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.” However, the CDC states that "spread from touching surfaces is not thought to be a common way that COVID-19 spreads" and that transmission of the virus from surface contact has never been documented.
Environmentally Preferable Takeout Containers
If a restaurant is not ready or currently able to make the switch to reusables, the City encourages the use of environmentally preferable single-use containers.
Additional Resources