Activists: Bring out china, hold the plastic

ALBANY — Bring out the real silverware and glasses and hold the plastic utensils.

That’s the theme of a new free guide that an environmental group has put out advising restaurant operators on how they can reduce their use of plastics.

“Restaurants, in particular, have a big role to play in addressing our plastic pollution crisis,” said Judith Enck, a former EPA regional administrator as well as the founder and president of Beyond Plastics, which aims to reduce the amount of fossil fuel-based plastic that goes into the waste stream.

“We want to help restaurant owners and managers take the first step toward becoming part of the solution.”

Timing of the guide is fortuitous, considering the amount of takeout food many people have consumed during the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That has led to mounds of plastic straws, disposable plastic cutlery and single-use plastic packets of ketchup, soy sauce, and mustard in many residential kitchens.

The guide is titled “Hold The Plastic, Please — A Restaurant’s Guide To Reducing Plastic” and it offers detailed, practical advice for reducing the use of plastic.

It is available online at https://www.beyondplastics.org/restaurant-guide.

“Industry research has found that the use of plastic makes consumers feel guilty, frustrated, and annoyed — precisely the opposite of what restaurant owners want their customers to experience. The majority of people surveyed also shared that they feel restaurants must do more to address the plastics problem directly,” added Megan Wolff, lead author of the guide and Beyond Plastics Policy Director.

The guide notes that restaurants can save money by utilizing reusable dishes and they can please customers and build loyalty by explaining why they are doing so.

According to Beyond Plastics, the United States generates more plastic waste than any other nation.

A few years ago, Albany County passed a law requiring restaurants to provide plastic straws and plastic cutlery only upon request. However, it's unclear how closely takeout restaurants have followed the law.

Globally, between 9 and 15 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the planet’s oceans every year — the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck of plastic every minute. Most comes from litter that washes into streams and rivers and then flows into the ocean.

Plastics persist in the environment where they can kill wildlife and eventually break down into tiny pieces called microplastics that contaminate the food chain.

Additionally, chemical additives in plastics can leach into food.