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Enacting a Reusable Foodware Policy for Oakland:

The why, the what, and the how

Miriam Gordon

The Story of Stuff

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Disposable foodware - part of a “throwaway economy”

15% of wood

22% of aluminum

40% of plastic

50% of glass

The Throw-Away Economy is a system in which 15% of wood harvested, 22% of aluminum mined, 40% of plastic created, and 50% of glass produced goes primarily to making single-use packaging that is consumed often in a matter of minutes before it gets trashed, recycled, or littered. It justifies the unnecessary extraction of precious natural resources on the front end, while creating significant amounts of waste and pollution impacts on the back end. This system treats the resources of the planet as disposable

And too often, the impacts of disposability disproportionately burden people of color and low-income communities who live on the fence lines of the extraction, manufacturing, and disposal industries. Extracting hydrocarbons, metals, and trees from the earth and turning them into throw-away packaging pollutes air, water, and habitat with accompanying impacts on community fabric and long-term human health. This pollution is the alarming evidence that fenceline communities are being treated as disposable.

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We can’t create a good quality of life for 7.8B people and growing on a “one-way throw-away” model.

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What does this mean to us locally? �

A 2019 microplastic study by SFEI and 5 Gyres found that the sf bay is 7x more polluted by microplastics than any other body of water tested world-wide.

The plastics that end up in the Bay include a wide array of materials and products. Tires, textile microfibers, cigarette litter, and pre-production plastic pellets are a huge part of the mix. But single use food and beverage packaging that washes off streets and into the Bay are also a big part of the problem.

They came up with 2 science informed solutions to reduce microplastics in our waterways. Their leading solution was policies to reduce single use plastics and packaging, and they cited the Berkeley ordinance which mandates reusable foodware onsite.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5522e85be4b0b65a7c78ac96/t/5d942b8fad08a67a4fc865ef/1569991572022/Microplastics+Actionsheet+_v7+SFEI+092619+F.pdf

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2011 Taking Out the Trash Study

Litter was collected at six sites around the San Francisco Bay. Volunteers and staff captured nearly 12,000 pieces of trash littered on streets in commercial districts within four cities.

67% of all trash collected was food and beverage packaging

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Reusable foodware is better for the planet, for people, and saves business money.�

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Reuse is a Climate Solution

Disposable paper, plastic, and bioplastic cups:

3-10 x higher CO2 emissions than reusable ceramic, stainless steel and glass cups over a lifetime of 500 uses.

If reusable cups are used 500 times

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Reuse Saves Water

Disposable cups consume way more water - primarily during production.

Reusable cups consumer water during use, i.e. dishwashing.

If reusable cups are used 500 times

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Disposable foodware is toxic!

12,000 chemicals used in food packaging that can migrate into food and beverage

Many cause cancer, endocrine disruption, chronic disease- even in tiny doses.

Unwrapped Project.org

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A Reusable Foodware Policy for Oakland

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1. Reusable�foodware for on-site dining��Effective Date – July 2024��

Source: SFE Staff

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Just Imagine…

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2. Acceptance of customer’s clean, refillable cups and mugs (BYO)��Effective Date – July 2024��

Source: SFE Staff

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No more refusing to serve us in our reusable cups!

Can’t stop us!

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3. Strengthen language for accessories upon request��Effective Date – July 2024��San Francisco will update and strengthen the 2019 Single-use Plastic Litter & Toxics Reduction ordinance. ��

Source: SFE Staff

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You never get accessories you don’t want or need

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4. Reusable, returnable cups at large venues (2,000 person capacity and above)��Effective Date – July 2024��

Source: r.Cup

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Just Imagine…

We will be rockin’ it with reusable cups!

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22 California cities & counties:

Arcata, Berkeley, Culver City, Cupertino, Daly City, Fairfax, Goleta, Half Moon Bay, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Sausalito, San Rafael, Tiburon, Los Angeles County, Marin County, Pacifica, Palm Springs, Ross, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Truckee

Outside California cities:

Quezon City, Philippines; Bellingham, WA, Edmonton & Banff Canada

Countries:

Chile, France, Taiwan, the Netherlands

& more coming due to new EU Packaging Directive

Reuse for Onsite Dining Laws

Let’s get Oakland on this list!!

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Source: SFE Staff

Businesses already switched in Oakland

with help from ReThink Disposable

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Save $3,000-$22,000 in annual net cost savings

Eliminate an average of 110,000 disposable packaging items, every year

Prevent average of 1,300 pounds of waste, every year

See an overall 60% reduction of packaging items

ReThink Disposable: restaurants that switch to reuse…

For some of the businesses we work with, we measure the impact of their source reduction practices, number of items eliminated and weight of trash prevented. Some people feel that switching to reusable foodware will pose an economic hardship to the restaurant. Some restaurants have felt the same way. But on the contrary, our partnering restaurants have found that by switching to reuse:

they have saved between $3,000-$22,000 annually, after a payback period of less than 4 months. This considers water, energy, and labor.
On average, eliminated 110,000 pieces of disposable items from the waste stream
Reduced 1,300 pounds of waste, every year
Our participants see on average a 60% reduction of single use items used at their establishment

It’s a win win for the planet and for businesses

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COMPLETE CONVERSION FROM DISPOSABLE TO REUSABLE - House of Dim Sum

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Fast Casual - Big G Burger

Replaced disposable cutlery and created self service condiment station

$2,145 in annual savings after payback period

141,213 disposable items were reduced/year

1,456 pounds of annual waste reduction

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Fast Casual - Cafe Umami

Replaced disposable cold cups, lids, straws

$1,538 in annual savings after payback period

52,576 disposable items were reduced/yr

928 pounds of annual waste reduction

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Cafe - The Sacred Wheel

Replaced disposable bowls, cups, condiment cups, cutlery, tasting spoons
Ask for disposable accessories only
Added self-service napkin dispensers

$2,652 in annual savings after payback period

602 pounds of annual waste reduction

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Fast Casual - El Metate

Replaced disposable cutlery and sauce cups

$8,957 in annual savings after payback period

493,711 disposable items were reduced/yr

3,651 pounds of annual waste reduction

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Fast Food- Subway

Changed to reusable cups for water and metal utensils

$7,458 in total annual net cost savings ($678 * 11 Restaurants)

301,125 disposable items reduced / year

4,367 pounds of annual waste reduction

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Restaurant Sector	# of Restaurants	Sector %	Restaurant Average Annual Cost Savings	Restaurant Sector Annual Cost Savings	Total Annual Waste Reduction (# of Items Eliminated)	Total Annual Waste Reduction (by weight, lb.)
Café/Bakery/Snack	88	12%	$4,319	$380,028	11,630,168	140,580
Fast Casual	100	14%	$4,687	$468,650	25,577,150	193,050
Fast Food	171	23%	$4,701	$803,895	24,730,705	611,241
Full Service	370	51%	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
All Restaurants	729	100%	$4,603	$1,652,573	61,938,023	944,871

Reuse for On-site Dining - Policy Impact in SF

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Accessories on Request - Policy Impact

Restaurant Sector	# of Restaurants	Sector %	Restaurant Average Annual Cost Savings	Restaurant Sector Annual Cost Savings	Accessories Upon Request Waste Reduction (# of items)
Café/Bakery/Snack	88	12%	$7,487	$658,812	28,234,800
Fast Casual	100	14%	$626	$62,608	12,688,920
Fast Food	171	23%	$6,143	$1,050,516	112,237,500
Full Service	370	51%	$949	$350,982	24,775,200
All Restaurants	729	100%	$2,912	$2,122,917	177,936,420

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	Accessories Upon Request ONLY		Dine-In Reusables Policy ONLY		Accessories + Dine-In Reusables Policy COMBINED
Restaurant Sector	Restaurant Cost Savings	Restaurant Sector Cost Savings	Restaurant Cost Savings	Restaurant Sector Cost Savings	Restaurant Cost Savings	Restaurant Sector Cost Savings
Café/Bakery/Snack	$7,487	$658,812	$4,319	$380,028	$11,805	$1,038,840
Fast Casual	$626	$62,608	$4,687	$468,650	$5,313	$531,258
Fast Food	$6,143	$1,050,516	$4,701	$803,895	$10,845	$1,854,410
Full Service	$949	$350,982	n/a	n/a	$949	$350,982
All Restaurants	$2,912	$2,122,917	$4,603	$1,652,573	$7,515	$3,775,490

Combined Policies - cost savings

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Business Owner Comments

After ReThink Disposable Conversions to Reusables

Victor Le, Owner, On a Roll, San Jose: “I wish all the tenants [at the food market] changed because we would all save money.”

Amy Eng, Owner, J & J Hawaiian BBQ, Cupertino: “We like participating in ReThink Disposable, #1 to save money, #2 because it is good for the environment and the next generation, and it is a benefit to all of us.”

Jena Davidson, Co-owner, The Sacred Wheel, Oakland: “By switching from expensive recyclable and compostable packaging to real dishes, I was able to save money and do the best thing for the environment. And right away customers started commenting

on how happy they are with the changes!”

Stephanie Hui,

Owner, Honolulu BBQ, Alameda: “Save the

environment and save

money.”

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Business Owner Comments

from ReThink Disposable Conversions to Reusables

Amos Wu, Owner, 11 Subways in Alameda, Fremont, Palo Alto: “Customers are very happy with the changes, I’m reducing waste, and saving money!”

Nancy Annan, Owner, Shish Grill, San Ramon: “First of all, your dishes are going to look a lot better, more presentable and more on the upscale side. And you’re going to save a lot of money. No one hates to do that. You work hard for your money, so saving will go a long way. Third of all, I mean, you’re going green, help the environment as well.”

Irvin Mendoza, Owner, New York Pizza, Cupertino: “I think this is a good thing. Customers were actually complaining about the plastic utensils. Now we actually get good feedback that people like the changes. I’ve been telling the other New York Pizza locations, like in San Mateo, and they are interested in doing the same so now I’m helping others too.”

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Business Owner Comments

After ReThink Disposable Conversions to Reusables

“Reusables [are] the only

way small businesses

like Ballast should move

forward. We all need to do

our part in contributing to

a sustainable future. Small

things add up fast. If we

all do our part, what a

difference we all can make.”

— Paolo Araneta, Founder, Ballast Coffee, San Francisco

Ayman Shehadel, owner Cybelle’s Pizza, San Francisco: “This is a great help to small businesses to lower the cost of operation through reduced purchasing costs and reduced disposal costs.”

Emiliano Cecchetti, owner, Caravaggio Gelateria, Berkeley: “Eating our gelato from a paper cup is like drinking champagne from a paper cup! The idea to change to reusables started with a ReThink Disposable visit.”