Reuseable Takeout/fast food dishes

[Darth Cruel]

I just read a story about some restaurants starting to use "to go" dishes that are similar to the glad and ziplock-style storage containers that are cheaper than storage containers like tupperware and rubbermaid, and can be re-used for storage at home. I think it is a good idea, but the article did not say that the dishes can be taken back to the restaurants for re-filling which would save even more waste because eventually the people who use them will have enough and then the dishes will end up the same place the current styrofoam ones are...the landfill.

Maybe this could be done at a small discount to the price of the food to encourage the practice.

Just thought I would share that.

 

[BadMoon]

I just read a story about some restaurants starting to use "to go" dishes that are similar to the glad and ziplock-style storage containers that are cheaper than storage containers like tupperware and rubbermaid, and can be re-used for storage at home. I think it is a good idea, but the article did not say that the dishes can be taken back to the restaurants for re-filling which would save even more waste because eventually the people who use them will have enough and then the dishes will end up the same place the current styrofoam ones are...the landfill.

Maybe this could be done at a small discount to the price of the food to encourage the practice.

Just thought I would share that.

Now this is REAL news!

 

[The Ween]

I think this is a great idea! A lot of us already have reusable mugs for coffee, popcorn buckets for the movies. I HATE those styrofoam containers. The recyclers around here won't take them. They also won't take #6 containers or cups, which a lot of fast food places use. Wish they change those too.

 

[Valfar]

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[barryo]

thread rated..............GREEN !!!!!!!!

 

[ProgMatinee]

instead of making products designed to last forever, why don't they design a product that fizzes away in water or something?

 

[BadMoon]

instead of making products designed to last forever, why don't they design a product that fizzes away in water or something?

They have panties that you can eat. I don't see why not?

 

[uscmhicks]

instead of making products designed to last forever, why don't they design a product that fizzes away in water or something?

Because what are you going to do if you fill up your popcorn bucket after the movie has finished , run out to your car and then it starts to rain ?.

 

[CAhobbit]

Interesting idea. Of course I would wager a guess that around 70% to 80% of folks who get them would just throw the containers away right after use. Then we're just back to the same problems we have now.

 

[BuffyGirl]

It's a good idea. But I am not sure if restaurants would allow you to bring yours back in to re-use. Though, they should. I would definitely re-use the containers at home.

 

[Darth Cruel]

thread rated..............GREEN !!!!!!!!

LOL...good stuff!

Interesting idea. Of course I would wager a guess that around 70% to 80% of folks who get them would just throw the containers away right after use. Then we're just back to the same problems we have now.

It's a good idea. But I am not sure if restaurants would allow you to bring yours back in to re-use. Though, they should. I would definitely re-use the containers at home.

I agree, that is why I feel the restaurants could offer a small discount for bringing them back in for re-use (for take-out food, only). And as far as sanitation, simply training the foodservice workers to avoid letting the dishes contact any surfaces in the restaurant should suffice.

 

[Valfar]

Retarded idea.

 

[The Mike]

Interesting idea. Of course I would wager a guess that around 70% to 80% of folks who get them would just throw the containers away right after use. Then we're just back to the same problems we have now.

Worse. While most takeout containers are paper/cardboardy now and only some still use styrofoam, to get these things to be reusable they'd be some kind of actual plastic which would fill the landfill faster and biodegrade slower if at all depending on what was used.

The idea is one of those that has merit but in reality isn't practical.

 

[Bodie The Cursed]

i like to take loose dumps in bags

 

[barryo]

i like to take loose dumps in bags

paper or plastic.......

 

[The Ween]

It's a good idea. But I am not sure if restaurants would allow you to bring yours back in to re-use. Though, they should. I would definitely re-use the containers at home.

On the refillable plastic popcorn buckets at our movie theaters, there is a statement on it saying they won't refill it if it isn't clean.

I would just like something recycleable. Styrofoam and #6 plastic isn't.

 

[Darth Cruel]

And keep in mind that this is not sit-down restaurant dining. This is take-out. Baskin Robbins has insulated bags that they allow you to use to help get your ice cream home, still frozen and they charge you a refundable 5.00 deposit for them. You bring the bag back...you get your money back or an exchange. Take-out places could do this as well. Each time you come in for food, if you have your own, and clean, reuseable containers, you don't get charged. But each time the restaurant has to supply them for you...it is 5.00. And each 5.00 deposit could be refundable upon the return of a set of the containers.

And the 5.00 is just an example. It could be say...1.00 for each container. Or whatever is deemed to be fair as far as whether it is for the cost of the recycling or the cost of the container or both.

I think the idea could work even though it would not be popular at first. But once people developed a habit of re-using the containers...they wouldn't even notice a difference.

Another idea would be for the deposit to be non-refundable and have it go toward the Superfund.

Another variation would be that whenever you bring back your containers...they go back for sanitizing and you are simply given a set that has either already been through sanitizing or is new depending on the availability.

Edit - The idea of sanitizing them comes from the fact that most restaurants already have sanitizing machines and it would not increase costs in a major way to add these to the things that already get sanitized.

 

[Crimsonbob]

I think its a good idea as long as they look good and are practical people will keep em.

 

[The Ringer]

paper or plastic.......

Nice sig!