The trickiness that is take-out

Like disposable coffee cups, the rise of take-out options is a very challenging demand on our planet. It is part of a food service industry that is estimated to surpass $100 billion in sales by 2022*. With this growth in sales comes the potential for growth in waste as well - unless we do what we can to help this industry grow sustainably. And one of the biggest areas in need of change is take-out. Read on for some stats and steps we can take to help minimize the amount of takeout waste and make reusing as easy as to-go food options.

Who's ordering take-out anyway?

54% The percentage of Canadians who purchase take-out food at least once/week.**

56% The percentage of dinner orders that are taken to-go.***

10.8 million The number of Canadians who have used online food delivery options this year alone.*** (That's more than a 1/4 of us, folks).

The environmental cost of take-out containers

2025 million The estimated number of take-out containers used each year in the EU alone.****

55000 Recycling disposable take-out containers could reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated annually by this many cars.****

How can we help?

There are some very simple ways to help reduce the amount of waste associated with take-out food. For example:

• Bring your own container. Do you keep reusable shopping bags in the back of your vehicle? Why not keep a reusable container back there too? So far, I have been met with more, "OMG, great idea!" exclamations than raised eyebrows when I bring my reusable to dinner. Let's set a trend.
• Eat-in. Speaking of trends, who started this one of "it's cool to rush"? One of the lessons plastic-free July is teaching me is the art of taking time. What's more, many a co-worker I know orders take-out and then brings it back to the office to visit. Why not take the visit off-site and enjoy a change of scene?

• Skip the plastic cutlery. It's likely you're taking your food back to your desk or enjoying take-out at home as a made-it-through-the-day (or week) treat. Do you need the plastic cutlery to go with it? Or, consider investing in reusable cutlery. The one I have (pictured here), while plastic, can be reused an infinite number of times and is not likely to be forgotten with a carabiner hook I can attach to my backpack (making it easier for me to stick to the good habit)! 
• Make packaging a criterion. Oh, the #firstworldproblem of having multiple food options at our fingertips and not being able to decide what we "feel like having". If indecisiveness is at play, consider making the packaging a deciding factor. For example, the pizza at our favourite place uses a plain cardboard box and a piece of rippled cardboard lining on the bottom. No plastic whatsoever - not even that little thingamabobber that some places will put in the centre of the pizza to avoid feared cave-ins. A more eco-friendly take-out choice that can be celebrated with an extra glass of wine. Win-win!

There are many more strategies out there to help minimize the impact of take-out and disposables on our environment. Do you have a tip that you use to minimize the amount of single-use take-out items you use? Big or small, it doesn't matter. What matters is that we keep taking steps towards positive change. 

*https://www.restaurantscanada.org/millennials-appetite-restaurants-growing/
**https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2019003-eng.htm
***https://www.statista.com/outlook/374/108/online-food-delivery/canada
****https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181218100410.htm