Contain Yourself!

Spring has sprung! There are places to go; people to see, and everyone seems to be as busy as the bees this time of year. If you are like me, it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. When I am feeling pinched for time I find myself ordering take out, or picking up something from the hot bar at the nearest grocery store. By the end of a busy week, it seems like my garbage is full of single-use styrofoam or plastic takeout containers. Looking at statistics from the EPA, I can guess I am not alone. In fact, the EPA estimated that almost 15 million tons of plastic containers and packaging were generated in 2015, and over 68% of those containers and packing straight to the landfill. Here are some tips and tricks to help you leave those single use containers in the past.

Ordering take out: If you want to grab a quick bite while on the go, ordering takeout may be your go-to option. Next time you’re ordering take out, ask to bring your own well sealed glass, ceramic, or metal tupperware to put the food in. It may feel awkward at first, but the worst that you will hear is “No”. You may also be surprised by the positive responses, and could potentially inspire one of the employees to start doing the same! It is also a good idea to bring a container when you decide to dine in, in case you need to take home leftovers!

Food from the hot bar: Like we talked about yesterday; bringing your own container is an easy way to cut plastic when shopping in bulk, but it is also an easy way to ditch the single use container when grabbing food from the hot bar. Since most hot bars charge by weight, you can weigh your container with an employee before filling it, and deduct that amount when you check out. In my experience, every store is slightly different, so I don’t hesitate to ask an employee to help me through the process the first few times.

Reuse what you already have: I always try to leave a container, or two, in my car. It is usually tucked away with my reusable grocery bags. It’s a good idea to have one on hand, in case you make a last minute decision on your way home or decide to grab lunch to-go that day. Don’t stress, you don’t need a new or expensive container to kick the single use plastic, and remember the golden rule: reduce, reuse, then recycle! I like to hold onto glass salsa, pickle, and honey jars for purposes like this, but really any old jar or tupperware container, already tucked away in your cabinet, will do the trick! If you feel like a specific container would help keep you motivated, check out https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/plastic-free-food-storage-containers to help you find the right reusable container for your lifestyle!

Gabby Fitts
GreenWorks Community Forestry Coordinator
​AmeriCorps Project Conserve