Home / Lawmakers take aim at single-use packaging in restaurants
Cities and states are imposing new restrictions or bans on certain types of packaging used in restaurants.
Plastic straws may be the poster child for efforts to reduce plastics use, but legislation is unfolding across the nation to restrict or ban many types of restaurant packaging and single-use cutlery, packaging and other food ware.
State restaurant associations, restaurateurs and suppliers are working with city councils and state legislatures to make sure new restrictions are workable for restaurants and that lawmakers understand the availability and impact of alternative packaging.
A sweeping bill is likely to be introduced in the U.S. Congress this fall to ban many single-use plastics, require deposits for beverage containers, and set recycling targets. The National Restaurant Association is working with the bill’s sponsors to educate them on how the legislation could affect the restaurant industry.
“We are concerned about the lack of recycling and composting infrastructure,” Laura Abshire, the Association’s food and sustainability director, said in a letter to the legislation’s lead sponsors. “For any recycling or composting program to work, the proper national infrastructure must first be present before mandates are imposed on businesses and consumers.”
Abshire said the Association is providing resources to help restaurant operators choose packaging that works for their businesses and brands, and keeping them up to date on the legislative and regulatory landscape.
The good news is that packaging suppliers are adapting quickly as the marketplace and many consumers look for changes. The Foodservice Packaging Institute and its members are working with the Association, foodservice operators and local communities to help operators understand their options.
FPI offers resources on the considerations involved in choosing single-use versus reusable packaging and a strategic sourcing guide to help restaurants source new packaging if they choose to do so.
Restaurant companies -- McDonald’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Brands, Wendy’s, Darden, and many others -- are fully engaged in the packaging sustainability effort. Among other changes, many restaurant locations now offer straws only upon request (which lets customers decide if they need a straw). Many state restaurant associations and operators are working with local governments to encourage investment in recycling and composting infrastructure to help recover foodservice packaging.
The National Restaurant Association’s 2018 State of Restaurant Sustainability report found most operators engage in recycling and source at least some packaging and supplies made with recycled content or certified as compostable. Nearly half of Americans say they would change their spending habits to reduce their environmental impact, according to recent Nielsen research.
A snapshot of recent laws and regulations that affect foodservice packaging and food ware:
Plastic straws
Reusables
Polystyrene (foam) containers
Plastic bags:
Single-use plastics:
Myths and Facts: Packaging
Source: Foodservice Packaging Institute. Get FPI's full list of foodservice-packaging myths and facts.