meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
21
Even when a company tries to do the right thing often there is user error by the customer. 15+ years ago the natural foods store I worked at introduced a biodegradable take-out container. We did a huge to-go business from the hot bar, salad bar and deli.
This container was made from a corn based material. Worked great! Only issue was it could not hold up to heat. We had signage every where explaining this. Explained it in the newsletter, on the website, through having staff man the containers for a month to verbally explain it.
Folks were irate that they would need to use the old style container for hot foods. They wanted the biodegradable to be used for everything. So they did - and then it would decompose and the bottom would fall out before they had even walked out of the store.
Bags for buying vegetables from supermarket here now is made of potato and is biodegradable. Very thin, but for daily scooping, they works well. For the disposal of litter, I usually reuse the original packaging in thick paper.
In the old films, people have metal containers to bring to stores if they want to buy food. But I don’t see that happening soon that many people will go to get hot food fast food with their own boxes.
I see people start bringing their own tiny bags, mostly reuse from previous purchases for buying beans, cereals that need individually weigh etc.
Recently saw tv news, a supermarket store in Holland is 100% plastic free, all the packaging (transparent) is made of corn, and will degrade in 12 months time on their own.
I like the idea of biodegradable bags, but I get nervous about how strong they are or if they hold up under moisture. Have you had any accidents with them? Most of the biodegradable ones I’ve found react to the moisture and being their break down process. I dread finding either a pile of open trash or possibly worse, loose litter and cat logs all over the place.
And have you seen the messes those disposable wipes make?
For a while now when I have “fat, oil, grease” in a pan I’ll reheat the pan a bit and use a half sheet paper towel to wipe it out before washing.
2 Likes
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
26
I do the same. Fat down the pipes is not a good thing.
I lived and traveled/worked in an old Airstream in the late '80s - mid '90s. Dealing so closely with your water, fuel and disposal needs was a great lesson on the impact of your daily use. You realize how much water we waste. You learn efficient cooking methods. When endless water comes out of the tap and the household trash is the only disposal you deal with then the realities of the situation are much harder to grasp.
They are like the produce bags at Trader Joe’s but a little thicker. I haven’t had problems with disintegration, but neither have they had very damp contents.
That’s an excellent point. We used to have a motorhome so became very aware of the things you mention. We spent Thanksgiving in an airbnb MH that was hooked up to water during the day (above freezing then) but not to a septic. So, yes, one does become very aware of such things. Thanks for sharing.
The chain “just salad” in nyc has a $1 reusable bowl that customers can buy and bring in, as a “reward” those customers get additional toppings at no charge.
Many of the other popular mini chain lunch spots like sweetgreen and dig inn use a biodegradable cardboard and don’t give a bag or silverware unless you ask
And speaking of strength, not only does KFC give you plastic sporks, but they are so flimsy that they are useless as forks. About all they’re good for is the mashed potatoes.
On the plus side, the cups are paper, and the small containers for sides are re-usable/microwavable/dishwasher -safe.
