And environmentalists warn the pandemic threatens to scare consumers away from reusable products just as progress was being made. Green Restaurant Association CEO Michael Oshman said that it's too early to predict how much more waste has been generated due to the pandemic.īut most local economies don't have the infrastructure in place for reusable or compostable takeout packaging. The shift by the salad chain is similar to that of many popular restaurants when the pandemic hit, including Starbucks and Dunkin', which stopped letting customers use reusable mugs. "The environmental fallout is definitely real," said Sandra Noonan, Just Salad's chief sustainability officer. When the pandemic hit the chain, the company immediately halted the program, shuttered restaurants and pivoted to delivery and pickup - both of which meant using only disposable packaging. Many restaurants, even those that were curbing plastic waste prior to the pandemic, are not limiting the amount of plastic involved in takeout orders.įor instance, popular chain Just Salad was producing reusable bowls that saved more than 75,000 pounds of plastic a year. The problem is especially apparent in the restaurant industry and its increased reliance on food delivery services. The surge in single-use plastic is a major blow to the fight against plastic pollution, which is projected to increase by 40% in the next decade, according to a report from the World Wildlife Fund. And municipalities are scaling back recycling operations due to health concerns.
Many retailers are banning customers from bringing reusable bags.
But now, cities and states have delayed or rolled back those bans on plastic bags in fear that reusable products will spread disease.
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