1. Have customers bring their own bags, cups and containers to the store.
2. Switch to non-plastic plates, glasses and silverware in restaurants.
3. Switch to reusable food containers for leftovers and takeouts.
Please see the Replace Plastic Foodware Guide for selection of reusable or compostable products, and download the Cost Benefit Analysis to determine the impact on your business.
Bring Their Own
Encourage customers to bring their own bags, cups, and containers.
Switching from single-use to reuse improves customer experience, store image, store loyalty, and cost savings.
Any additional dishwashing and associated labor costs for reusables are minimal, if any.
Instead of buying food service products, you can save money and find new business opportunities. You will also save your local community money by minimizing the hauling and management of landfill waste.
See how much you can save from the switch!
Non-Plastic Foodware In-house
Switch to non-plastic plates, glasses and silverware if you serve food in your business.
The ReThink Disposable program that started in Oakland, California shows that all 251 cases of on-site dining saved $3,000 to $22,000 for switching to reusables. The participating businesses eliminated an average of 83,000 packaging items and 1,045 lbs. of waste each.
What are all the items you can switch to reusables in your place?
Reusable Food Containers for Takeouts and Leftovers
Encourage customers to bring their own reusable food containers for takeouts and leftovers.
Currently most so-called biodegradable products are only bio-based. They cannot biodegrade in a short time (i.e. weeks) naturally, without being collected separately and sent to an industrial composting facility plant with the right temperature and conditions.
While we do have compost collection in Skokie, much of it is geared toward food waste. Moreover, many of the ‘compostable’ foodware contain PFAS, a toxic chemical that compost facilities will not accept.
Home or naturally compostable coating is being researched and is expected to be available in the US in a few years.
It’s best to use reusable non-plastic foodware whenever possible.