Each year, U.S. restaurants and food service businesses generate a significant amount of single-use plastic waste, largely from items like takeout containers, utensils, and packaging:

• Around 9 million tons of disposable food service items are used annually, equivalent to the weight of 25 Empire State Buildings.

• 79% of this waste comes from takeout and delivery, while 21% is from on-site dining. 

• Approximately 1 trillion disposable food packaging items are also used  (Upstream) 

 This plastic waste often ends up in landfills, incineration facilities, or as environmental pollution, as less than 10% of plastic is recycled.

 We see the impact of single use plastic pollution in every clean up and green space beautification we conduct in the Heights. Most of the waste we collect is from discarded food utensils, food packaging, and plastic bags.

Many municipalities and restaurants across the US have taken action by implementing a program known as SKIP THE STUFF.   Watch this clip and see the program in action.

 SKIP THE STUFF reduces costs and single use plastic waste. The concept is simple: customers are provided straws, utensils, napkins, plastic-wrapped condiments, and plastic bags only if they request them—either online or in person. 

ACTION: We are collecting data and we need your help.

Whenever you or anyone you know get takeout food, note how accessories are handled.   Then click on this link  to answer a few questions.  You input is very valuable to us.

What goes up DOES come down!

Over 98% of plastics are made from fossil fuels.  Plastics are comprised of carbon polymers to which a mix of 1000’s of chemicals is added, many of which are highly toxic.  Some examples of these chemicals are PFAS, phthalates, dioxins, benzene, PCBs, Bisphenols, and heavy metals.

This is true of all plastics, even so-called “bio-plastics”. Though plastic containers and packaging may claim “no BPA” they do not mention what chemicals ARE in it.  There are no rules for disclosing plastic ingredients. 

So, what happens when one drinks a liquid from a plastic bottle, or eats from plastic dishware or food wrapped in plastic?

The plastic releases both tiny fragments of plastic (micro- and nano- plastics) and the chemicals they contain into the liquid and foods.  When ingested, these enter the blood stream from the gastrointestinal tract, and can travel to organs, brain, placenta, breast milk, and unborn child, with potential toxic effects such as: dysfunction of endocrine, neurologic, immune, reproductive, and cardiovascular systems.  They also increase the risk of certain cancers, infertility, gastrointestinal problems, and abnormal fetal development.

Foods and Plastics are indeed a Bad Combination.  Learn more about this topic and ways to eat less plastic.

6 Ways to Use Less Plastic

While it’s practically impossible to eliminate plastic from modern life, there are a number of steps you can take right now to cut back.

Work with your community: Legislation to limit the use of single-use plastics and plastic production may pull the biggest levers, but joining forces with community-level recycling groups can truly make a difference. Look for so-called zero-waste groups, which can offer guidelines for how to recycle or compost all your garbage—and which lobby for local rules that can restrict throwaway items. When possible, shop at markets that source goods locally, so they don’t require as much packaging and shipping. Seek out groups such as Upstream, a nonprofit working to create reusable takeout packaging for restaurants. And when possible, educate yourself about and support any city, county, and state legislation limiting single-use plastics.

What you must know:

1. Plastics leach chemicals and nanomicroplastics into the foods and liquids they touch, especially if they are hot or fatty. 

2. Many food and soda cans contain bisphosphonates, which leach into food and liquid. 

3. Our hands pick up nanomicroplastics and chemicals from our home/office environments.

4. Black plastic kitchenware is made from recycled electronics, high in toxins.

Create a Reduced-Waste Block Party this summer!

Prepare a WASTE STATION with well-labeled containers in a central area, with, ideally, a person present to monitor accurate use of them. Containers for:

• Bottles and cans to be recycled

• Leftover food waste to be composted

• Unfinished liquids left in beverage containers

• Trash (hopefully not much of this)

• **Skip the Stuff like straws, balloons (use alternative non-plastic decorations)

Additional guidance and information can be found at

www.sustainablecleveland.org/zwneo Planning Guide, and Event Checklist.

https://cuyahogarecycles.org/party_event_recycling/ --great tips for low waste event planning

Why building more Plastic Incinerators worsens our Plastic Problem ? 

chemicals to process clean sorted plastic (the type mechanical recycling must also use), to produce mostly low-quality toxic fuels, a minimal amount of poor-quality contaminated plastic feedstock, and some chemicals. Though claiming to be recycling plastic, it is in truth a plastic-to-fuel process, with minimal plastic produced.

These facilities are NOT environmentally or economically sound. They:

• Use huge amounts of water. Example: the Encina plant in PA plans to use 2.5 million gallons/day.

• Use and release a plethora of dangerous chemicals: dioxins, heavy metals, benzene, toluene, etc.

• Result in contamination of soil, air, and water with hazardous chemicals and create massive amounts of hazardous wastes. Example: Oregon facility produces 1 ton of hazardous waste for every 3 tons of plastic waste processed. Consequences are cancers, birth defects, multitude of health problems.

• Have resulted in fires and explosions, putting workers and nearby communities at risk.

• Are mostly located near communities of people of color and low-income, where environment injustice is often already occurring from other petrochemical industries.

• Produce greenhouse gas emissions that are 10-100 times higher than virgin plastic producing plants.

• Require extremely high levels of energy to function.

• Depend on government subsidies and private investment yet still fail economically.

• Use a failed technology, with most not able to run at full capacity. As of 9/2023, 2 were partially running, 2 were in test mode, 2 were non-operational, and 5 provided too little information.

• Lack transparency in production details.

The American Chemistry Council has been lobbying states (successfully in 24 so far) and the EPA to reclassify Advanced Recycling as a manufacturing, not a waste management process. This will allow for less regulation of hazardous pollution AND for yet more subsidies from the government.

Thirty more facilities are proposed. Two are under construction—one in OHIO, in Licking County, funded in part by Huntington bank. Currently there are two facilities in Ohio, with the one in Akron being the largest in the US. 

Trying to solve the plastic epidemic with recycling only encourages more plastic production. We need to change how much we make and what we make. 

Ways to take action:

• Urge the U.S. Congress to reject chemical recycling and push for true solutions to our plastic pollution crisis by signing this form

• Support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2023 which aims to make meaningful reductions in the amount of plastic pollution in the U.S

• Learn the facts about Advanced Recycling here and here. No time to read? Watch this video instead

Styrene is a monomer that, with the addition of a multitude of chemicals, is used to make polystyrene. Not all styrene is totally bound in polystyrene products. The World Health Organization reported that styrene has the ability to migrate from packaging to food. This leaching of styrene from polystyrene into foods is increased by duration of exposure, heat, and higher acidity and fat content in foods.

 Styrene is hazardous to those exposed—at higher doses occupationally, at lower dose levels from food packaging (cups, lids, disposable plates, takeout containers, food trays, yogurt and milk containers, disposable cutlery, packaging for cheese, meat, fish), from newly manufactured products (CD cases), and contaminated water and air.  It is also in engine exhaust, cigarette smoke, and photocopy machines. 

 Styrene is considered a carcinogen by numerous agencies. Most linked cancers are  lymphohematopoietic (leukemias), but  pancreas, breast, and prostate cancers are also linked to styrene exposure:

•    It is an endocrine disruptor, affecting many hormones that control development, organ function, and reproduction.
•    It is neurotoxic and can affect immune function.
•    It has genetic toxicity, creating changes to chromosomes.
•    It is an irritant to eyes, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, mucous membranes, skin.

 Polystyrene is a disaster for the environment and wildlife.  Billions of food containers are discarded in the US every year, ending in landfills, waters, beaches, on lands. Polystyrene foam is the most littered waste product. Being very lightweight it is easily transported great distances by wind and water.  It is bulky, able to choke waterways. It easily fragments into smaller and smaller pieces—eventually into microplastics. When ingested as pieces it can block the digestive tracts of wildlife. Styrene and other toxic chemicals the microplastics carry can harm health. 

 Polystyrene releases chlorofluorocarbons which deplete the ozone layer. As it decomposes in the oceans it releases styrene. 

For numerous reasons, polystyrene is difficult to recycle, and incineration of it releases toxic chemicals.  

 Take Action:

• Ask your representatives to cosponsor the Farewell to Foam Act. Sign this petition and/or call Shontel Brown, Sherrod Brown, JD Vance

• Learn more here

What Are Bioplastics?

Bioplastics typically combine plant materials like corn or sugar beets with the same harmful additives as fossil-fuel plastics—plasticizers, dyes, and toxic chemicals—plus new, often unidentified ones. These chemicals can leach into food and the environment. 

Definitions:

• Biodegradable: Breaks down over time (anywhere from days to centuries).

• Compostable: Decomposes within a defined period in industrial composting facilities like Rust Belt Riders (RBR).

• Certified Compostable: Meets standards such as ASTM or BPI certification, which restricts harmful chemicals like PFAS and heavy metals but doesn’t account for microplastics.

• GreenSpace Certified: Excludes PFAS and thousands of other concerning chemicals entirely.

Concerns with Bioplastics

1. Resource-Intensive Production: Growing crops for bioplastics demands significant land, water, and chemicals, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. (Alternative sources like food waste, algae, and waste oils reduce this impact.)

2. Lack of Regulations: There are no federal standards for safety, toxicity, or environmental impact.

3. Environmental Risks: Bioplastics may release toxic chemicals, microplastics, and methane into compost and landfills, offering no composting benefits.

Dos and Don’ts for Bioplastics

1. DO place only BPI-certified items in industrial compost bins like RBR’s.

2. DO NOT put ANY bioplastics in recycling bins; they contaminate the process.

3. DO avoid using bioplastics in home compost; most don’t break down in those conditions.

4. DO NOT assume bioplastics are safer or more sustainable than conventional plastics.

5. DO keep bioplastics out of landfills to prevent microplastics, chemicals, and methane emissions.

6. MOST IMPORTANT: DO NOT rely on bioplastics as a solution to single-use plastics or continue wasteful habits.

The Real Solution

The key to reducing plastic pollution lies in reuse, not replacing one form of single-use plastic with another. Transitioning to reusable packaging and food ware is the only sustainable path forward.