NYC restaurants may soon provide their customers with reusable containers

New Yorkers looking to get takeout from their favorite fast-casual restaurants may receive their orders in reusable containers. The new bill, introduced by a group of New York City officials, will require corporate-owned food establishments to offer reusable eating utensils and containers. This reusable packaging would later be returned to the restaurant. 

The new legislation, called “Choose to Reuse”, will target well-known food spots, such as Chipotle, Sweetgreen, Shake Shack, and Dig. Under the new rules, fast-casual joints may provide their dine-in customers with non-reusable utensils and containers only upon request. In addition, these restaurants must also establish a return system for reusable food packaging. 

The New York City Council members Marjorie Velázquez, Keith Powers, Erik Bottcher, and Sandy Nurse sponsored the bill. The non-reusable food packaging generates 4.9 million tons of waste in the United States every year, according to data  from the Overbrook Foundation. The most common plastic items are utensils, to-go and storage containers, straws, and cup lids.

“Today my colleagues called on NYC to #Choose2Reuse with landmark legislation that will curtail our environmental impact and improve our quality of life,” wrote Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez on Twitter. “We are committed to elevating the consumer experience and making NYC a greener city to live in. This is our chance to be leaders in not only environmental protection but consumer support.” 

In 2023, the University of Michigan published a study that looked at the benefits of reusable takeout food containers. The study found that reusable containers and utensils, which initially require more energy and generate more greenhouse gas emissions, break even with single-use packaging after four to 13 uses.

“This bill is a significant step toward a more sustainable and responsible food service industry,” Manhattan borough president Mark Levine told Time Out. “A less polluted, more resilient New York depends on innovating in every industry so that we’re relying on fewer single-use products. If eating with reusable materials is the norm in our homes and sit-down restaurants, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be in corporate-owned fast-casual restaurants.”

Image credit:

Scott Beale (Flickr)

Resources:

“NYC fast-casual restaurants may have to serve food in reusable containers,” by Anna Rahmanan (Time Out, 2023)

“New bill mandates the introduction of reusable food containers in NYC,” (Packaging Gateway, 2023)

“Shaking Up NYC Fast Food: New Bill Targets Throwaway Containers,” by Matt Troutman (Patch, 2023)