Reduce the plastics in your restaurant.
Plastic detox is a concept that has become popular recently. Here you will find tips on how you can reduce the use of plastic in your restaurant.
Two words that have become more common in the last decade are plastic detox. Many want to reduce their use of unnecessary and sometimes potentially harmful plastics.
WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD WITH PLASTIC?
Plastics are made from fossil fuels which are a non-renewable raw material. If the plastic ends up in nature, it takes a long time for nature to break down the plastic. Also, we do not yet know how microplastics affect our health.
The advantage of plastic is that it is a light material, which makes the transports more environmentally friendly. But the main advantage of plastics is that it can help prolong the life of food. For example, a cucumber with a plastic casing lasts for 12 days longer compared to cucumber not wrapped in plastic. This is an important to know - food waste is one of the world's biggest causes of greenhouse gas emissions.
If you want to read more about the pros and cons of plastic, you can do this here.
WHY SHOULD YOU PLASTIC DETOX?
The main reason for plastic detox is that some plastics can contain dangerous chemicals. This mainly applies to plasticized plastics, where there are risks for additives that can cause health risks.
It is important to point out that not all plastic are bad and in our society we would not manage completely without plastic. The fact that paper would be a better enivormental alternative to plastic has in recent years proved to be incorrect. You can read the comparison between plastic and paper bags here.
There may be several reasons why you choose to plastic strip or review their plastic use.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A PLASTIC FREE RESTAURANT?
To do business completely plastic-free is, to say the least, a big challenge. We are surrounded by plastic and the material is found in products, equipment and environments that we are working in and it is difficult to find replacements for everything.
If you want to have less plastic in your business you need to be prepared to do a proper effort. Plastic is a relatively inexpensive material and you should therefore be prepared to invest more in plastic-free products before starting a plastic detox in your restaurant.
IS THERE A MIDDLE PATH YOU CAN CHOOSE?
If you do not feel completely sure that plastic free is the right way to go, then there are several other products and materials that are good to consider. It is possible to replace many plastic products with products made of recycled plastic or with products made from renawable materials, like sugar cane and bagasse.
One of the great dangers of plastic is when it ends up in nature or the sea. To help prevent this, you can review your waste management in your restaurant. If you sell take-away, an appeal to your customers to take care of the waste can be an effort. By recycling plastic, the material can be used to create new products.
The products covered by the EU:s proposal of ban on single-use plastics are a good first step to look at. Single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks or cotton buds, will be banned from 2021. You can buy many of these products in alternative materials.
Tips on how to reduce plastic in your restaurant.
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SET REALISTIC GOALS
How important is this environmental issue to your business? How much are you prepared to invest in new plastic-free options?
Ask yourself these questions in relation to other environmental issues that your business can influence. By doing this you can set realistic goals that are relevant to your business and that you can then anchor among employees and colleagues.
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REVIEW YOUR PRODUCTS
Review which products in your business that are easy to replace with materails like recycled plastic, paper, wood or bamboo.
Start by taking a few steps to get the transition started. Doing all it once has proven to be tricky. By reviewing one product at the time, it gets easier to make decisions regarding the remaining plastic products in the business. Here you get tips on plastic-free take-away packaging producs.
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USE WORK WEAR WITH NATURAL FIBERS
Synthetic fibers are available in many types of clothing and can contribute to the release of microplastics. If you want clothes without synthetic fibers, you should choose clothes made from eg. cotton. Cotton kitchen clothes can be found here.
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COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
Tell your customers about the active choices your restaurant makes! Get them the customers on board by telling them about the material you choose or by appealing to help reduce the littering and encourage recycling.
Alternatives to plastic products
Bagasse.
Bagasse is the remaining fiber material that becomes over when juice from sugar cane is extracted. Bagasse products can withstand high temperatures and are great for both hot and cold dishes. After use the material in the product can be recycled as paper packaging.
100% renewable raw material
Can be reycled as paper packaging
Withstands temperatures above 100⁰C
Bamboo.
Bamboo is renewable raw material with a rapid regrowth. After use the material can be recycled as paper packaging. Bamboo is a grass that does not require any chemical or pesticides during production. Bamboo binds a lot of carbon dioxide which is good for the environment.
Raw material with rapid regrowth
100% renawable raw material
Can be reycled as paper packaging
Palm Leaf.
Palm leaf products are made from a 100% renewable and biodegradable raw material: palm leafs. They are made from fallen leafs and are picked when the leafs fall from the trees. The material is suitable for all types of foods: hot, wet and fatty foods. The products can also be used in both freezer and micro. Because the material is completely natural there is no risk that chemicals will migrate to the food.
100% renawable raw material
Withstands temperatures from -25⁰C up to +220⁰C
Energy recovered by combustion
PLA.
PLA (Polylactic Acid) is a biodegradable thermoplastic made of 100% renewable raw material. Maize starch or sugar cane are common raw materials for the production of PLA. PLA is a transparent material with a good resistance to fat.
100% fossil free plastic
Perfectly suited for cold foods
Energy recovered by combustion
CPLA.
CPLA is chemically similar to PLA. The difference is that CPLA is crystallized, which is why CPLA can withstand higher temperatures compared to regular PLA. CPLA can withstand temperatures up to 70°C.
100% fossil free plastic
Perfectly suited for cold foods
Energy recovered by combustion
Paper.
Paper is classified as a renewable raw material provided that forestry is active and responsible, meaning that the forest is replanted and harvested with respect to biodiversity. Growing forests absorb carbon dioxide from the air and store the coal in trees and fields. Forests and vegetation act as nature’s own medicine against climate change.
100% renewable raw material
Can be reycled as paper packaging
Wheat straw.
Wheat straw is a remaining material that is left over when wheat grain are harvested. Wheat straw can then be recycled and from the material you can make paper-like products such as plates. Wheat straw products withstand high heat and are ideal for both hot and cold dishes.
100% renewable raw material
Can be reycled as paper packaging
Withstands temperatures above 100⁰C
FSC-labeled products.
Now you can find FSC-labeled products at Tingstad.com. FSC guarantees that the products are produced with environmental adaptation as well as economic and social responsibility. In short, this means that the products come from responsible forestry. Search with filters to find the products smoothly.
PEFC.
PEFC-certified materials guarantee that your wood-based products come from sustainably used forests.
SmartMate by Tingstad.
SmartMate, smart services for you who handle food. The app helps you keep track of your business with digital temperature control and self-control – for a safe and secure legal compliance. SmartMate is a smart and user-friendly app that helps you minimize the risk of product losses. You can subscribe to one or more services within the app. Completely without binding times. Digital, mobile and efficient!
Have you discovered our alternatives to plastic?
We have a large selection of disposable products made from renewable raw materials. Bagasse trays, palm leaf products and PLA straws are some examples. In our materialguide we give you more information about the benefits of each material.
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