March 15

Surely we can train people who are serving the public to ask them if they wish to participate in a recycling program especially for coffee. Get them to supersize it e.g. a grande for the price of a regular cup if they bring in their own cup.In other words turn it in to a win win situation.Remind them in many ways every time the public uses a disposable.

Very fitting - there is a survey being conducted by some SFU students, to investigage the feasibility of a clever idea for dealing with this problem. If you're willing to spend 3 minutes to answer some more questions about take-out culture, please visit
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=406071895350

Why, for instance, could a coffee bar/take out not charge more for their containers??
If a cofee would cost 3.00 with a take-out container, then encourage users to bring their own mug by giving them $1.00 off???

Close the loop
It will be very difficult to stop the use of disposable food containers. It might be interesting however to go through that stream of the waste cycle and turn it from a waste into a recycleable resource. If we used full post-consumer and biodegradeable materials in the food packaging and then composted it, first collecting methane and then reusing the compost after, the impacts would not only be significantly less, but additional economic value could be drawn from this socalled waste stream.

How about a phased in law banning all non-recylable containers in Vancouver within 5 years (ideally in conjunction with a few dozen other cities around the world). Like the Montreal Protocal for CFC phase out, anticipate the following scenario: 1. Business says this is technically impossible 2. Business acknowledges that it's technically possible but economically impossible 3. Business recognizes the profit to be made from innovative eco friendly alternatives 4. The target is reached earlier and with greater economic net benefits than anticipated

What if paper cups/containers had labels on them, just like on cigarette packages? Instead, having pictures of landfills etc. demonstrating the amount of waste a plastic cup etc at the watercooler actually amounts to. It would be nice to have a econo levy, as suggested, and already in place on paint cans, however, actually offering a discount, (refunded to the organization by gov't) would be better suited to the mom & pop cafe. On a recent trip to chicago I was appauled I did not see ONE recycling container in 4 days. Although there are examples of how we can further our recycling habits (much of Western Europe), I believe the greater good would be to shame those states etc. that currently DISCOURAGE recycling.

Electroshock therapy? A thrashing of the cane? An indian arm burn? A separate, significant environmental levy openly tacked onto such disposable items? This levy could go towards responsible projects that minimize waste (must be a transparent use of fees). Perhaps it would encourage people to bring their own food and beverage gear or drink/eat at the establishment? I'm guilty as the next person... if I really have a hankerin' for a chai tea latte "on the go" and I don't have my mug with me (though this is rare), I buy it anyway. I feel guilty, but still no restraint. A fee of a buck or two for paper cups or 25% of food bill for containers would really make me re-evaluate my craving or make sure I bring my mug or Tupperware for sushi next time. This might be a little complicated (ie. costs/issues in collecting the fees)?? I can already hear the outcries from cafes and take-out restaurants around the world on how this will destroy their businesses.

I worked at an office where the kitchen area had a cupboard full of nice clean tupperware (or rubbermaid, you know what i mean) and all staff were encouraged to grab one before they headed out to get lunch somewhere. Pop it in the dishwasher when you're done... voila! Of course it requires a decent kitchen set-up at the office.

Another thing I think is that employers should encourage their staff to actually leave the office, and take the time to stay and eat at the place they get food. We all rush too much. Social and personal sustainability are encouraged by taking the time to enjoy your food where you bought it, rather than rushing away to eat it over your keyboard.