As a recycler (we are a founding member of AMBR) in a zero waste organization, we always look through the lens of the waste hierarchy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Our organization gets a lot of questions about food ware for parties, take out, etc. and we want to speak to some of the questions and sometimes confusion that we hear.
In this article we give you information for what you can do as an individual. but this is actually a systemic issue. It requires advocacy, and the sharing of knowledge. In Berkeley at a local level we supported a foodware ordinance to continue this path. Other cities have done and are doing the same and need supporters like you. And just a reminder, you don’t have to be fancy, you can reuse a spaghetti sauce jar for your work lunch. But if you’re looking to upgrade, come visit our store or visit your local eco minded store in your community.
Learning to reuse and make healthier decisions can start at a young age.
What constitutes a healthier Foodware Option?
When deliberating about foodware options and what may be a healthier option, the first question to ask yourself is: can the foodware be a reusable option?
When taking food to work or school, reusing a container each day may be the most sustainable option for both the planet and it’s people. When ordering takeout, providing a reusable container that your food can travel in not only reduces waste but could also help protect the consumer from toxic materials found in some foodware. When throwing a party, using reusable dishes when available or finding truly compostable single use wares that can go straight into the compost might be more sustainable options. But what about reusable plastic containers or plastic coated paper containers?
To get a clear idea of what to look for in your foodware and how to keep toxins out of your body, we invited Ecology Center Board Member, Sue Chiang to talk to our community at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market during Plastic Free July.
We asked Sue to provide some clarity on reusable foodware and single use food ware that can help the consumer make healthier choices. Here are some key elements that she and the educators at Ecology Center find helpful to share with the community:
BPI certification
We should see one time use foodware as a waste of natural and human resources no matter it’s contents. However, in the event that one time use is required for hygiene, because you forgot your reusable cutlery or for other reasons beyond your control, make sure compostable foodware has a BPI certification. This certification means that the product has been certified compostable and provides the following: “All products certified by BPI meet ASTM standards for compostability, are subject to eligibility criteria around the connection to food scraps and yard trimmings, meet limits for total fluorine (PFAS), and must display the BPI Certification Mark” (BPI)
Kraft paper doesn’t mean non-toxic
It is important to clarify that even if something looks natural or compostable, it doesn’t mean it has been certified compostable (see point above) or is non-toxic. Items can still be sprayed, mixed or lined with petroleum plastics, PFAS or other elements that could make the item leach toxins into the food. And, those elements could then be leached into the compost or landfill when put into the waste stream.
Stainless steel or glass is key for reusable
A good reminder that some reusable items can be made of plastic that contain PFAS or other chemicals that can leach into your food, along with microplastics. This can happen with wear, time, heating and cooling. It is best to look for reusable items made with stainless steel or simple glass, that don’t do this. (Insert reusing your spaghetti jar here, or buying stainless steel container from a store like our Eco Store)
Watch for Plastic elements
Plastic is used for many things, from straws, to sippy tops, pump mechanisms, fluid barriers and the lining of containers (both reusable and one-time use). Pay attention to the components, and remember the BPI compostable certification for one-time use products. Some of the most noteworthy items that often get overlooked that contain plastic: paper cups for coffee or hot drinks (can often have a plastic lining) and metal water bottles with inner plastic straws or sippy mechanisms.
Compostable doesn’t mean your local compost facility will take it.
Not to make decision making even more complicated, but when it comes to compostable one-time use foodware, after you find it has been deemed BPI compostable, the trick will be making sure your local compost facility is willing to take it. Not all do, or like to do. And for a few main reasons: One, BPI compostable doesn’t necessarily mean nutritious. And when it comes to making compost, the reason people use it is: it is nutritious to the soil and provides plants what they need to grow. If it’s a polymer made from corn, does it really offer the nutrition and fiber that people and plants are looking for? Two, machinery doesn’t always like plant polymer products. It can look and even act like petroleum plastic, and so it can get stuck and muck up the composting machinery. We have heard from compost facilities that these products can get stuck in machinery and cause problems for the composters. Three, it is often really hard to tell the different between BPI compostable products and other non BPI or just plastic products. So when the sorters are working overtime to filter out bad stuff from incoming compost, sometimes both BPI compostable and non get sorted away and into the landfill.
Advocate for reusable
When you are out and about with your reusable foodware, there are tools you can have with you to help advocate for your right to use it at food vending facilities throughout Berkeley (and neighboring cities who have similar ordinances). Share this with folks if you’re in Berkeley. The thing to know about reuse: make sure your item is clean so that vendors feel safe using it both for their health and the health of other customers.
If you’re in another city, do your research. Is there an ordinance already in place? If not, how can you get involved to get one started?
Are you a Business Owner in Berkeley?
Here’s what you should know (take from the City of Berkeley website:
Prepared Food Vendors must charge twenty-five cents ($0.25) for every disposable beverage cup provided. This charge is intended to incentivize customers to utilize reusable cups.
Download and print signage to notify customers of the charge. Here is a one pager with info.
Itemize charges for disposable cups separately on any post-sale receipt provided to the customer and clearly identify the charge on media such as menus, ordering platforms, and menu boards. Customers placing orders by phone shall be informed verbally of the disposable cup charges.
- Businesses are not required to increase prices to add the $0.25 charge. The charge for the disposable cup must simply be itemized separately.
- The $0.25 charge cannot be applied to any reusable cups supplied by a customer at the point of sale. Prepared food vendors can refuse to fill unsuitable or unsanitary cups provided by customers.
- All customers demonstrating a payment card or voucher issued by the California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or an Electronic Benefit Transfer card (EBT) are exempt from the disposable cup charge.
And don’t forget about the signage to let your customers know you charge for single use, and accept reusable: Single Use SIgnage
In conclusion, we hope this information was helpful. Please look for information about upcoming educational offerings on our Ecology Center Calendar:
For more information about foodware in Berkeley, take a look at the Berkeley Foodware Ordinance website
