This is the largest source of plastic waste in audited buildings and is comprised mainly of food and liquid soiled plastic films (mostly from cafe areas); bag liners from the recycling and garbage containers; plastic bags, air pillows and plastic sleeves used arriving with packaged goods; and may also include squeeze tubes, small amounts of styrofoam and composite plastics from office areas (pens, toys, etc.).
Ninety percent of the plastic film recovered in the audit was soiled by food contact and deemed non-recoverable (see first image below).
Reduction Potential: Low – Medium
Material Definition
Plastic grocery “t-shirt” bags, foodservice to-go bags, and retail bags that are clean and dry.
Alternatives
Explore reusable packaging options with suppliers
Purchase food in fewer, larger containers
Prioritize cardboard over plastic for foods that don’t need O2 barrier (eg grains, legumes).
Store food in washable, reusable containers
Bulk purchasing, reusable transport packaging
Examples from Audit
Food and liquid soiled plastic films (mostly from cafe areas); waste bin liners; shrink wrap used in kitchens; pallet wrap; packaging material; bubble wrap; small amount of styrofoam and composite plastics from office areas (pens, toys, etc.). Approx 90% of plastic film was soiled with food and deemed non-recoverable.
This is the largest source of plastic waste in audited buildings and is comprised mainly of food and liquid soiled plastic films (mostly from cafe areas); bag liners from the recycling and garbage containers; plastic bags, air pillows and plastic sleeves used arriving with packaged goods; and may also include squeeze tubes, small amounts of styrofoam and composite plastics from office areas (pens, toys, etc.).
Ninety percent of the plastic film recovered in the audit was soiled by food contact and deemed non-recoverable (see first image below).
Additional plastic wrap used at the warehouse to bind boxes to pallets that are distributed to cafes and snack kitchens. Because this shrink wrap is typically collected by the delivery teams and taken back to the warehouse, it didn’t appear in the audits.
Explore reusable packaging options with suppliers.
While this is not something we’ve demonstrated, it seems theoretically possible for suppliers to send us food items in reusable containers. For example, we receive prepped vegetables from our distributor in sturdy plastic buckets that could ostensibly be washed and reused. Compass is exploring this and related strategies. Elsewhere, food companies are deploying reusable containers for shipping produce, and start-ups like Loop and MIWA are providing an alternative packaging-free supply chains.
Waste audits and pantry visits show that we often buy food in small plastic containers when fewer large ones might suffice. For example, in one cafe we found that our cafe team orders yogurt by purchasing dozens of one quart consumer size plastic containers each week when our supplier could provide a three gallon bucket of the same product.
Purchase food in fewer, larger containers.
Prioritize cardboard over plastic for foods that don’t need O2 barrier (eg grains, legumes).
Foods that don’t require an oxygen barrier could be shipped in paper or cardboard instead of plastic. Evaluate current packaging for oatmeal, pasta, cocoa, rice, legumes and other products and explore alternatives with suppliers.
Disposable film is often used for storing food in the kitchen, transporting it to catered event sites and even for moving food from the kitchen to a salad station that may only a hundred feet or so away. Plastic wrap is also used to ensure that liquid contents don’t leak from cambros. All of these uses could be reduced or eliminated with adoption of reusable containers and lids.
Store and transport prepared food in washable, reusable containers.
Salad Bars
Pencil pans are sometimes filled in the kitchen and covered with plastic wrap before being carried out to the salad station. Alternatives might include using a reusable lid or filling the pans from a reusable/sealable container right at the salad station instead of in the kitchen.
In some locations, pastries are wrapped for transfer to service. Alternatives may include reusable covers or deployment of an enclosed bun rack.
Baking / Pastry
Catering
In some locations, pastries are wrapped for transfer to service. Alternatives may include reusable covers or deployment of an enclosed bun rack.
Reusable bands, reusable pallet sleeves and enclosed nestable pallet containers all have the potential to eliminate this shrink wrap used on pallets. StopWaste in Alameda County has documented case studies of other companies employing these methods, often with reported cost savings. See: US Foods switched to reusable bands; Veritable Vegetable switched to reusable pallet wrap; and WhiteFish switched to “nestable” reusable plastic totes.
Replace pallet wrap with reusable bands or sleeves.
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