Disposable food packaging

Single use foodservice packaging is comprised of disposable (single use) items often found in quick service restaurants, takeout restaurants and kiosks, and catering establishments. Typical single-use foodservice products are plates, bowls, cups, utensils, doilies, tray papers, etc. These products can be made from a number of materials including plastics, paper, bio-resins, bamboo, etc.

According to the National Restaurant Association, Americans spend nearly 50 percent of their food budget in restaurants and people therefore are using more single use foodservice packaging (also known as foodservice disposals).

Single-use packaging allows foodservice establishments to package meals in a cost-effective and sanitary fashion, while providing customers with a safe and convenient way to transport meals.

Sanitation

The use of single-use foodservice packaging is a step toward preventing foodborne disease. Used only once, these products significantly reduce food contamination and the spread of diseases.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code authoritatively spells out the sanitary and health advantages of single-use foodservice packaging: "A food establishment without facilities...for cleaning and sanitizing kitchenware and tableware shall provide only single-use kitchenware, single-service articles, and single-use articles for use by food employees and single-service articles for use by consumers." The Food Code further states "in situations in which the reuse of multiuse items could result in foodborne illness to consumers, single-service and single-use articles must be used to ensure safety."

According to a study conducted in 2003 by Silliker, Inc., "reusable foodservice items had higher microbiological levels than disposable items." According to a study conducted in 2006 by the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, single-use placemats were shown, on average, to have over seven times fewer bacteria than uncovered tables in restaurants.

Cost

By reducing the need for equipment and additional labor, single-use foodservice packaging is an economical alternative to multiuse items and eliminates the need for dishwashers and other support equipment (racks, carts, dollies, shelving, bins, etc.) It can also save money on water and energy used by dishwashers and can eliminates the need to replace reusables that are broken, damaged, stolen or accidentally discarded.

Environmental Concerns

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, paper and plastic foodservice packaging discarded in the country’s municipal solid waste stream accounted 1.3 percent in 2007 (by weight) of municipal solid waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also says that an often-cited waste prevention measure is the use of washable plates, cups, napkins … instead of the disposables variety. (This will reduce solid waste but will have other environmental effects, such as increased water and energy use.)

Litter

Litter composition studies conducted in many states across the country have found that foodservice packaging items make up 20 to 22 percent of our nation’s litter stream.

Recycling

Most foodservice packaging can be recycled, but isn’t for a variety of reasons. According to the Foodservice Packaging Institute the biggest barriers to recycling foodservice packaging items are public health and economics.

Once used, foodservice packaging is considered contaminated, and thus much of it is unfit for recycling, unless it is cleaned and sorted. Some places have successfully found ways to recycle such packaging including, but they've met with limited success .

Collection costs, the value of scrap material, and increased energy expenditures create an additional economic barrier to recycling foodservice packaging. While recycling foodservice packaging is difficult, recycled materials are being used in some foodservice packaging.