Next time you grab a coffee or a takeout meal, consider bringing your own cup, container, and utensils—this small commitment cuts waste, saves resources, and keeps your food fresher! Takeout packaging is wasteful and costly. Paper is always best (if it can tear in two directions, it can be recycled as paper). Hard plastic is second, and Styrofoam takes a lonely last place -landfill! The paper and hard plastic must be 90% clean of contamination to be recyclable. Yet, studies show many plastics leach into food and then stay in our bodies—another great
reason to go reusable. One Park City resident shared: “Ever since I started bringing my own cup and containers for takeout, I’ve noticed how much less waste I create. Plus, my coffee stays hotter longer, and my meals taste fresher without the chemicals from disposable packaging.”

There is no health issue involved with bringing your own to-go containers, as long as the food is transferred at the table (versus the restaurant kitchen). And, if you are eating at home, be sure to say “NO” to extra condiments, utensils, and items that become instant trash. If you order online or call it in, make your requests known!

Make it easy. Stash a clean container, cup, and utensils in your bag or car. Can you make this habit in the same way we do with our reusable bag at the grocery? Set the trend and others will follow – model it. You will:
● Reduce waste and pollution from single-use throwaway items
● Avoid flimsy, disposable landfill-bound cutlery
● Keep your food and drinks tasting fresh and free from PFAS and other toxins

Lead as a business: Park City restaurants and cafes can support customers who bring their own containers. Here are some easy ways businesses can encourage reusables:
● Offer discounts for BYO cups & containers
● Post fun reminder signs and offer incentives: “BYO & Save Some Dough!”
● Train staff to handle reusables while following food safety guidelines
Change is hard.

Habits are challenging to create, but our unified choices will start to add up!
Let’s keep Park City clean, green, and waste-free—one reusable at a time.

By Jill Donello