 |
|
BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters cook at home instead of ordering takeout once a week, in a year we'll keep the weight of up to 7,722 orders of chow mein in trash outta landfills.
COCKTAIL FACT
In 2006, the average American ate 81 meals inside restaurants, but ordered 127 to go.
| SAVE TO MY BITES |  |
FORWARD TO A FRIEND:
RATE THIS TIP:
How useful is this tip to you?
(5 is the highest)
home › tip library › Takeout Food
Did you just order Styrofoam with a side of noodles?
The Bite
So you ordered kung pao. But you got kung pao; a Styro container; a plastic fork, knife, and spoon; four paper napkins; two packets of soy sauce; and a plastic-wrapped fortune cookie with a canned message. Takeout fiends: Try cooking a meal from scratch once a week to cut down on trash. One tasty dinner, no 'foam.The Benefits
- Fewer non-recyclable receptacles. More than 15 mil tons of polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) is produced each year, but less than 1% is recycled. Those utensils are hard to recycle too.
- Safer Szechuan. Styrofoam is made using cancer-causing benzene and the brain toxin styrene.
- Better eats. Just 'cause you're not Alton Brown doesn't mean you can't whip up something tasty that's bound to be better for you and the planet.
Personally Speaking
SF banned Styrofoam in takeout containers in June, so when SF Biters get takeout it comes in paper containers (several of which have already made their way into Heather's compost bin).Wanna Try?
- Next time you reach for the takeout menu, think twice and cook at home (or get one of your fave chefs to cook for you).
- Still craving delivery? Join a CSA that delivers whole foods and recipes to your door, and cook up something from our fave veggie cookbook, Simply in Season ($14).
- BYOContainer. Keep a clean container (right next to your Biter bag) in your car in case you wind up with leftovers after dining out.
- Got a takeout fiend for a friend? Forward this to them.
Aug 29,2007
Sponsor
All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
No Duh
When we were brainstorming about category topics for our tip library, I was all on board to have a category called No Duh, a place for those complete no-brainer tips to reside. Because truly - sometimes tip ideas come in or come up, and all I can do is shake my head (at myself, usually) and ask: "Why on earth haven't I thought of that before???"
Today's tip perfectly epitomizes what would have become the "No Duh" category criteria. There's nothing really for me to say here to kick off this blog - we all know: takeout containers = unnecessary waste.
So why - knowing that - does it still feel like such a guilty little pleasure to have restaurant food at home?
-Heather... off to plan my home-cooked meals for, well, Burning Man...
Today's tip perfectly epitomizes what would have become the "No Duh" category criteria. There's nothing really for me to say here to kick off this blog - we all know: takeout containers = unnecessary waste.
So why - knowing that - does it still feel like such a guilty little pleasure to have restaurant food at home?
-Heather... off to plan my home-cooked meals for, well, Burning Man...
Biter Comments...
Cooking at home is a great idea. But if you're going out to dinner and you feel you're pretty well guaranteed that you're going to bring your food home in a doggy bag, try bringing your own doggy-bag.
Getting Chinese food take-out? Try to get them to use your containers instead of theirs.
Here's a washable ceramic take-out box you could try.
http://www.wrapables.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=C50629&prodlist=bizrate
Maybe that's weird and a bit extreme...
Unfortunately, this is a common delimma for me- as I love going out to eat, but always end up with a "doggy bag". For a long time, I tried to come up with a solution to bringing my own container (cause, you know a plastic container just doesn't fit in my little black purse- lol) and I finally found something that kinda works. http://order.tupperware.com/coe/app/tup_show_item.show_item_detail?fv_item_category_code=16000 Its a fold flat tupperware, so as long as I bring a bigger purse- fits right in!
Now, if only this company would start making containers with lids, that would be really cool: http://www.orikaso.com/
Great tip, bite. Can't wait 'til LA bans styrofoam too.
How timely. We've just been working up the nerve to take in our own containers for take out. We're looking to use tiffin carriers.
i HATE that places still use styrafoam and I try to avoid it whenever possible. I order breakfast most mornings in my office and opt for breakfast sandwhiches & the like as their 'platters' are served in styrafoam. I was recently at an upscale env friendly (org beef, etc) restaurant and when my leftovers came out in that packaging I told the waiter in no uncertain terms (but politely of course - he's hardly making that call!) what I thought about using that material, especially for good food. He promised to tell his mgr and I like to pretend they stopped using it...
I have a question about composting paper food containers. Which can go in and which can't? Sticking to the topic, I try to also bring containers to restaurants for leftovers. Even better, my boyfriend and I often split one meal instead of ordering two meals so we don't have any leftovers in the first place, and we save money in the process as well.
Waxed paper doesn't compost very well in a residential setting which cuts out most paper food containers. Paper bags can be composted or recycled. Plastic bags fall into the same category as grocery bags. There are some newer polycarbonate-like containers that are clear and relatively waterproof, for at least a little while, that are made out of corn starch. These can be composted and will usually say on the product itself.
I tried a CSA when it was suggested about a month ago. I am loving it. I used to try to get to the farmers market, but some weeks were just too busy. This way the farmers market comes to me. It comes in handy when I need to grab a snack or lunch to go too. I just grab an apple, a tomato, a peach, whatever came in the basket for that week and go. The farm that delivers my basket personalizes it too, so I only get the produce that I like to eat. Last weeks basket had an extra surprize of a whole watermelon. MMMMMMMMMMMM.
It's fine to provide consumers with tips for conscientious decision-making...but in order to truly effect change you should empower the consumers with knowledge they can provide to service providers, e.g., restaurant operators. I have a great local sandwhich place that insists on using styrofoam, I limit my visits due to the styrofoam but my in-laws insist on using the place regularly. If I had literature on biodegradeable, economically feasible packaging I would present it to the manager in a heartbeat. I would even give a sales-pitch on how they could use it as a sales-pitch.
I know I'm a bit late to comment (just catching up on email) A CSA is a poor replacement for takeout. First of all, many towns do not have CSA's, and for those who live within the delivery zone of a CSA, most use drop-off points where the customers need to come pick up their box - it's much easier for the farm that way, it would be very time consuming to take the box to each customer individually. And then you still have to prepare the meal! Most people eat takeout because they don't have time or energy to cook a meal.
As for takeout containers, many restaurants in LA have switched to these black plastic reuseable containers made of #5 plastic (safer for food than some plastics). We haven't had to purchase any reuseable tupperware for a long time because we get so many - unfortunately my bf works in an industry that orders takeout for its employees on a daily basis.
I'm happy to hear that LA is now offering styrofoam recycling (although I've been putting it in my recycling bin for a long time as their guidelines regarding what's recyclable are incredibly vague).
I finally did it!
After thinking that I needed to start taking my own containers when I order take out, and always forgetting about it, I took a covered pot to the local Japanese restaurant for udon noodle soup.
It's a major behavioral break through for me and I don't think I'll ever go back to doing things the old way...
Here's wishing the same exhilaration to all of you!
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Wayne | August 29, 2007 at 07:46 AM