Send less to landfill – BYOC
What’s the latest way to be green? BYOC, bring your own containers when picking up takeout food.
Let’s stop generating leftover food containers, such as Styrofoam and plastic clamshells,
that are soiled with old food. People find it difficult to scrap food residue off single-use
containers. If not recycled or composted, the flimsy food boxes that held last week’s chicken
chow mein or half-eaten enchiladas end up in landfills.
This new call to action – to eliminate waste by placing takeout food in reusable containers –
comes from Recology San Francisco’s garbage and recycling company.
It may seem counterintuitive that a garbage company would want to eliminate waste, but
Recology is engaged in an all-out effort to help San Francisco achieve zero waste by 2020, a
goal set by the city’s Board of Supervisors.
And while recycling is good in pursuit of that goal, taking steps to eliminate waste is even
more effective. One of the best things people can do environmentally is take the single-use
containers out of the equation:
 Glass containers with reusable tops present a simple and healthy option to transport
take-out food.
 “Tiffins” are metal containers that sometimes come with dual compartments and seal
with a metal lid.
 Bento boxes, used throughout Japan, offer a third alternative.
Environmentally friendly restaurants usually accommodate customers who bring their own
containers for takeout or a restaurant “doggie bag”.
Reduce, the first word in the environmental call “reduce, reuse, recycle,” means taking steps
to avoid making garbage in the first place.
“Reducing waste saves natural resources and energy,” said Bob Besso, recycling manager
at Recology Sunset Scavenger. “Bring reusable food containers when picking up takeout. You
will never struggle with messy Styrofoam and single-use plastic containers again, and you will
really do right by the environment.”
Media contact:
Robert Reed
415 606 9183
rreed@recology.com