We have been asked to adopt a long list of behaviour changes over the past months. With the major shift we all underwent mid-March, there were daily adjustments that became the new, if ever-altering, “normal.”
It wouldn’t be all that surprising if even committed zero-wasters didn’t give much protest to the sudden change in the bring-your-own bag or refill container rules. Overnight, these were seemingly tossed aside in favour of stemming off a more immanent concern.
Now that we are getting into some new, possibly more wasteful habits, it is a good time for some creative thinking. We don’t know how long we are going to be experiencing this recalibration, so let’s brainstorm ways to ditch the extra plastic deluge of takeout cutlery, containers and plastic shopping bags where we can.
With so many of our favourite cafés and restaurants altering their services, you might have found yourself super excited when they came back online with takeout meals.
While bringing your own container into a restaurant is a no-no, you can skip the cutlery. Grab a used zipper-lock (or cloth) bag and toss in a few forks and spoons. Keep them handy when you’re out and about. If you’re ordering for delivery, you need to be more proactive and expressly say you don’t need cutlery, or extra sauces.
This goes for cafés, too. Some are in the (bad) habit of putting plastic cutlery in your paper treat bag rather than asking if you need it. Some gentle advocacy here could get them to change their practice.
Many grocery stores had to change their bulk food sections to premeasured and packaged goods. Some, however, are filling customer orders and using sanitized (and often reused) glass containers. This is a double win. If you ask us, a cupboard full of mason jars and other unique glass storage containers is a lot classier than any plastic alternatives.
Grocery stores are also under shopping bag restrictions, with some not allowing customers to bring in their own baskets or reusable cloth bags. That said, many will actually let customers keep their basket or bags in their shopping cart (not placing them on any store surface). Customers are then permitted to fill their own bag or basket themselves.
Another option is to fill your grocery cart, wheel it out to your car or bike, and fill up your own reusable bag or box there. This is a great option for the coming summer heat as you can pack some ice blocks to keep everything cool.
If you find yourself consuming more single-use items than usual, take heart. You are likely also driving less, keeping vacations local and reducing your footprint with more home-cooked meals and possibly even a veggie garden.
Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s waste-reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
