The Dark Side of 'Compostable' Take-Out Containers

[Newest Reality]

Plastic to-go containers are bad, but are the alternatives any better?

On January 1, Berkeley, California rang in the New Year by putting a new rule in place requiring all cafés and restaurants to start charging 25 cents for disposable cups. The cups, in addition to lids, utensils, straws, and clamshells, must also now be certified compostable. This summer, eateries that offer on-site dining will also be required to serve customers using reusable plates, cups, and cutlery.

Berkeley’s ordinance — one of the strongest in the country — seeks to do away with single-use plastics. And it’s one of a slew of new laws that aim to do so. Towns, states, even entire countries, have been moving to ban everything from plastic checkout bags and plastic straws, to plastic food containers and take-away serviceware.

Many municipalities are also requiring restaurants and coffee shops to switch to plant-based compostables for takeout meals. They’re joining several other cities, including San Francisco and Seattle, which pioneered such requirements years ago. Even in areas where they aren’t the law, so-called bio-plastics are a booming business, and some food and beverage companies and restaurants have voluntarily made the switch as part of their sustainability plans.

While many have pinned their hopes on these alternatives, some researchers and recyclers caution that an over-reliance on compostable tableware and packaging may not be the solution it’s cracked up to be. In life cycle assessments, it turns out, compostables don’t necessarily outshine plastics when it comes to environmental benefits. And an increase in compostables in the waste stream could, in fact, bungle up the composting process, create more trash, and continue consumers’ addiction to single-use items, detracting from the most environmentally beneficial practices: reducing and reusing.

https://www.eater.com/2020/1/15/21065446/compostable-take-out-containers

[handmade34]

1. three R's

long overdue... alternative's are at this point better only because it can raise awareness... is a turning point, but we have a long way to go

[msongs]

2. recylables are not so useful when they are covered in food remnants nt

[jeffreyi]

3. Support your local wooden spoon and bowl maker!

Wooden treen is nice to use, affordable, and reuseable. No forests are razed...usually made from small green pieces or deadfall. The people who make this stuff are a nice bunch.