5 Tips for Plastic-Free Dining

If you look at items littered on the street or overflowing from city trash cans, it’s overwhelmingly food and beverage plastic packaging. Even paper coffee cups are lined with plastic. Nearly every time I go for a run or go to the park with my kids, I see a plastic straw or bottle cap. They are light, easily lost and thus constantly littered.

So, what are some of the best ways to avoid plastics while dining? Here are five easy tips for plastic-free dining.

1. Slow down, sit down, and eat
2. Ask for less
3. Choose hand-held foods
4. Bring your own utensils
5. Bring your own container for leftovers

1. Slow down, sit down, and eat

I know, I sound like your mom, but really slow down. We spend so much time on the go that we race through life and don’t get to enjoy the simple things. When was the last time you ate a meal without your phone? No judgement here, but think about it. Has it been a while? What are you missing out on while you’re scrolling endlessly?

A study showed that when eaters are distracted they eat an extra slice of pizza or 70% more mac and cheese than undistracted eaters. In America, we’re taught to clean our plates and not waste food. A great idea, but when we’re mindlessly eating, we consume more than we need and start packing on the pounds.

Back to plastics, by sitting down and eating at the restaurant, you avoid all the packaging used to transport that individual meal. And you’re more likely to get a real plate, utensils and water glass. Plus, when your food is put in a to-go box, you lose out on presentation. I know this sounds fluffy, but you eat with your eyes and nose before your mouth. Give your eyes something to feast on.

2. Ask for less

If you’re grabbing a drink to-go but forgot your cup, considering asking for no lid and no straw. Take a minute to sip to a safe liquid level and then head on your way. Some people in the zero waste community call the no-lid, no-straw drink order “going topless”.

Cheeky, huh?

If you’re sitting down to a meal, ask for your drink with no straw. In the state of California, a law was passed last year that says that a sit-down restaurant is not allowed to serve you a plastic straw unless you ask for it, but restaurants are still catching on. If you get a plastic straw in your drink and feel compelled to let the restaurant manager know about the new law, the bill number is AB1884–often referred to as the “straws upon request” law.

3. Choose hand-held foods

For casual sit-down restaurants that might still have disposable utensils, or for to-go order, consider a hand-held food option. I LOVE tacos! I can’t get enough, but an added bonus is that I don’t need any utensils! Other great hand-held utensil-free options are:

• burritos
• wraps
• sandwiches
• pizza
• chicken wings
• dips
• ice cream cones

The last one is a great easy swap. I always get ice cream in a cone instead of in a cup. Frozen yogurt is an exception, but we bring our own spoons. Which brings me to the next tip.

4. Bring your own utensils

We get Ramen at a local place and they have reusable bowls and spoons but disposable chopsticks and water cups. So, we bring our own reusable water bottles and chopsticks to the restaurant. Chopsticks aren’t plastic but they’re still a wasted resource. And I’m already packing some kid-friendly chopsticks for my daughter, so I throw extra bamboo chopsticks in the bag for my husband and I. In our “adventure bag” (just a diaper bag with extra items), we keep a few utensil rolls which consist of a fork, spoon, and chopsticks rolled in a cloth napkin and tied with a hair-tie.

5. Bring your own container for leftovers

You sat down to eat instead of taking your food to-go. You remembered to ask for water without a straw. You ordered a hand-held meal. You ate your meal without touching your phone once and had a hilarious conversation with your dining mate. You’re so awesome! And since you weren’t mindlessly eating, reading, and scrolling, you realized part way through that you were full. But the only to-go boxes at the restaurant are clear plastic clamshells. (I hate the sound these make when opening and closing.) No problem, you remembered a to-go container in your bag! The other half of that burrito is going to be awesome at midnight tonight. Made even more awesome by the fact that the whole meal was plastic-free! Pat yourself on the back and go grab an ice cream cone.

I have a set of these containers in our “adventure bag” to pack leftovers. They are light and stack-able. When I get home, I transfer the leftovers to a glass container, wash these out and put them back on our bag. If we’re going somewhere where I know we will get soup, I bring a glass, leak-proof container.

Now that I’ve equipped you with these five tips, do you think you can do some plastic-free dining?

If you need a reminder for some basic tools, start with “Plastic-Free Basics” or browse the shop page.