Reusable food containers a win-win
A new waste reduction campaign in New Plymouth has some cafes and restaurants offering customers discounts if they bring their own reusable container for takeaway food.
Elixir Cafe manager Natalie Weaver said customers loved bringing their own containers and keeping some money in their pocket, especially with the cost of living crisis and peaking inflation.
‘‘We see more people jumping on that bandwagon, and it’s a positive impact that needs to be made.
‘‘The vibe among our staff is amazing, too. We feel we are being part of a bigger movement and reducing the impact on the landfill,’’ she said.
The BYO container scheme is part of the New Plymouth District Council’s Bring It! campaign to reduce the amount of commercial waste generated in the region.
More than half of the district’s annual 27,038 tonnes of rubbish is generated outside of people’s homes, with commercial waste adding up to 14,360 tonnes every year.
Wild Pear Kitchen owner Chere Bailey said both the cafe’s staff and customers felt great about using reusable food containers
Raising awareness in the community and taking responsibility for waste reduction are the two major reasons why Bailey gives a 50c discount to customers who bring reusable containers.
Bailey said she had seen rubbish bins on the kerb overflowing with takeaway containers for too long, so she was hopeful that the discount would encourage customers to change their habits.
‘‘It would be great if a dozen cafes in town got together and even used the same crockery, like collect and share,’’ she said.
The campaign to get businesses using reusable containers is an extension of the programme promoting reusable coffee cups.
As a result, there has been an increase in businesses joining the campaign, and a total of 35 food businesses are accepting reusable containers, with more businesses set to join.
‘‘We feel we are being part of a bigger movement.’’ Natalie Weaver, Elixir Cafe manager