{*Did you know you can write on Elephant? Here’s how—big changes: How to Write & Make Money or at least Be of Benefit on Elephant. ~ Waylon}

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If you are like me, skipping the extra single-use plastic stuff that comes with takeout would feel great, especially since most of us just toss it in the trash or drop it into a junk drawer.

We have two simple and effective solutions to that drawer, the one full of unneeded condiment packets, chopsticks, stirrers, napkins, bundled packages, and tons of plastic utensils.

Currently, takeout orders include a set of utensils and condiments by default, and while we can ask to exclude them, it doesn’t guarantee those items won’t be there when you open the bag. This extra stuff is unnecessary for most of us since the takeout goes straight home where we have reusable utensils and our favorite bulk condiments.

Sadly, single-use items are not recyclable (less than 6% of plastics recycled in the United States). Plastic is either burned, buried, or it blows away as litter. We don’t have to look far to see single-use utensils trashing our sidewalks, parks, beaches, and waterways. More than 36 billion disposable utensils are handed out in the U.S. annually. Laid end to end, they would wrap around the planet 139 times. How does this make sense?

Bioplastics, also known as compostable plastic, are generally made with toxic chemicals that are hormone disruptors like Bisphenol A or BPA and forever chemicals like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances or PFAS. Compostable plastics behave the same as their fossil fuel counterparts, risking the health of wildlife as they degrade into smaller and smaller pieces or microplastics. Humans are also impacted as many studies are showing micro and nano plastics in humans. Bioplastics aren’t the solution.

So what is a solution? Skip the Stuff (STS). This national campaign was initiated by Upstream Solutions in response to the now 1 trillion disposable food service items given out every year in the U.S., resulting in nine million tons of waste. Unnecessary waste. By simply moving to an opt-in model, we will make a huge dent in single-use plastic waste while saving restaurants money. If you want any of the extra stuff, you just have to ask.

There are currently 83 Skip the Stuff laws enacted nationally including state level laws in California and Washington. New York City adopted STS last year, so on-line order tools like GrubHub and UberEats already have processes. By passing local ordinances now, we build support for broader state-wide policies.

You might wonder how restaurants will react. After our team visited 20 restaurants locally in New Jersey, we found without exception that they were supportive as STS will save them time and money.

So, what are the two ways you can make a difference today?

1. Ask restaurants to skip the extras in your take-out and talk to your favorite restaurants about how they can Skip the Stuff more broadly.
2. If you are interested in championing change in your New Jersey town, email us at [email protected] and join us on Instagram and we can help you get this passed in your town, or join a local Beyond Plastics group near you. If there isn’t a local group, start one. See Beyond Plastics for guidance.

Together, and with small steps, we can make a big difference locally, nationally, and globally.

Are you ready to skip the stuff?

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