Sustainable Takeaway Packaging: Truth or Fiction?

Cafes and restaurants face mounting pressure to adopt eco-friendly practices, particularly in their takeaway packaging. The allure of compostable packaging promises a guilt-free solution to our single-use plastic dilemma. However, the reality of whether these materials actually make it to compost is far more complex and often disappointing. Let's delve into the sustainability considerations for takeaway packaging, especially the differences between compostable and recyclable options, and why compostable might not be the silver bullet it appears to be.

Compostable Promises

Compostable packaging is designed to decompose into natural elements, leaving no toxic residue behind. It’s often made from plant-based materials like corn starch, sugarcane fibre or bamboo, and comes with the promise of reducing landfill waste and enriching soil with valuable nutrients. In theory, it should decompose fully within a few months, and what remains can be used to fertilise soil. In theory at least, compostable packaging could significantly reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill and incineration.

The Reality: Compostable Packaging’s Unmet Potential

While the benefits sound great on paper, the real-world effectiveness of compostable packaging is often undermined by several practical issues:

• No separate compost waste stream: once the packaging is used, the consumer has to choose where to dispose of it. In grab-and-go settings, this is likely to be away from the venue and away from home. Many councils will have separate recycling and general waste bins, but few have public compostable waste bins. This means the discarded packaging will mostly end up going to the incinerator or landfill.
• Lack of industrial composting facilities: compostable packaging requires specific conditions to break down properly - conditions typically found only in industrial composting facilities (and not in landfills). Unfortunately, such facilities are scarce, and without them, compostable packaging is just another form of waste.
• Consumer behaviour and awareness: even in areas with the necessary composting infrastructure, consumer participation is a major hurdle. Most people don’t have access to kerbside composting and lack the motivation or knowledge to seek out composting facilities. Some even mistakenly put compostable cups in recycling bins, a practice known as ‘wishcycling’, potentially contaminating the rest of the contents.

Recyclable Packaging: A More Pragmatic Choice?

Rather than buying packaging that claims to be compostable but isn’t in practice, hospitality businesses could switch to recyclable options. While recyclable packaging isn’t without its flaws, it tends to offer a more practical solution given current waste management systems:

• Established infrastructure: recycling facilities are more widely available and better understood by consumers, making it easier to implement on a large scale.
• Resource conservation: recyclable materials help conserve raw materials and reduce the energy needed for producing new ones.

There are some challenges though:

• Contamination: food residue on recyclable packaging can result in entire batches being discarded. With proper consumer education, this issue can be mitigated, though in grab-and-go settings, it isn’t practical or realistic to expect consumers to rinse their cups and bowls before discarding them.
• Limited recycling cycles: most materials degrade in quality after repeated recycling, so few materials are truly ‘closed loop’ or ‘circular’. The exceptions are perhaps glass and aluminium, though the high energy inputs involved in melting bottles and cans results in greenhouse gas emissions that may offset other environmental benefits.

Navigating the Sustainability Maze

Given these realities, how should cafes and restaurants approach their packaging choices?

1. Realistic assessment: evaluate the availability of recycling and composting facilities in your area. Note that these facilities will vary based on the location, with neighbouring councils often providing different collection facilities. Without industrial composting, compostable packaging is often just wishful thinking.
2. Consumer education: focus on educating consumers about proper disposal methods, whether it’s composting or recycling. Clear labelling and in-store signage can help: simply writing how to dispose of packaging on the item itself can improve recycling/composting rates, and subtly reinforces your business’s eco-credentials.
3. Supplier selection: partner with suppliers who provide genuinely sustainable options, whether compostable or recyclable, and who are transparent about the environmental impacts of their products. Remember that much of the environmental impact of the product happens before disposal: different means of sourcing and producing packaging can have very different impacts. A responsible supplier will be able to help you determine the best options.
4. Continuous improvement: regularly assess the environmental impact of your packaging choices and stay informed about advances in sustainable materials and waste management technologies. Tell your customers about the work you're doing and invite their feedback.

The journey toward truly sustainable takeaway packaging is fraught with challenges and requires a clear-eyed approach. While compostable packaging holds promise, its efficacy is currently limited by a lack of infrastructure and inconsistent consumer behaviour. By making informed, pragmatic choices, cafes and restaurants can better navigate the complexities of sustainability, reduce their ecological footprint and genuinely contribute to environmental preservation.