Here we are going to give you a few sustainability best practices that you can use when you order food to-go or for delivery.
Tips for Ordering Delivery While Reducing Waste:
Say no to utensils.
Most meals that are delivered via food service apps like Postmates and Grubhub are consumed at home and my guess is you probably have silverware. Lots of apps now make you request single-use utensils which is great, but some don’t. If you don’t see a place to decline or at least not request, see if there is a note section where you can let the restaurant know you are saying no way to unnecessary single-use items.
Say no to condiments.
If you are ordering french fries from the comfort of your own home, consider declining the ketchup as our guess is you have some in the back of the fridge that won’t be going bad for at least another year or two. Condiments usually come in small and non-recyclable plastic containers with lids that are equally as tragic.
Say no thanks to leaching, or at the very least play it safe.
If you are ordering hot food (think ramen), and it arrives in a plastic container, do yourself a favor and make sure to check the plastic # that is usually on the bottom of the container inside of a triangle. If it’s a #1 or #2, this means it’s BPA-free and okay to use for a short time. Know, though, that it is probably not recyclable due to its color, size, shape, etc. If it’s a #3, #6 or #7 you’ll not only want to forget about reheating it in the microwave, but you’ll also want to re-plate it as soon as humanly possible to a bowl or plate that won’t leach dangerous chemicals like phthalates and styrene into your dinner like that trashy container will. It’s a real bummer, and another reason JYBE is working to eliminate the use of harmful single-use plastic items.
Avoid beverages.
If you will be e
njoying your meal at home or at the office where you likely have things to drink, try to avoid tacking on that iced-latte or some other redundant drink as it will likely come in a plastic cup with a lid – neither of which can be recycled. It’s the sad truth that there are not many Earth-friendly alternatives out there to the cold cup that will actually hold liquids long enough to make it worth it. But JYBE is on the hunt and when there is a solution, we will shout it out from the mountain tops. Until then though, drink more water. If you need a beverage though shoot for something canned or in glass — both can be endlessly recycled.
Shameless plug alert: just use JYBE.
It’s that easy. When ordering food to go, use app.gojybe.com to pick a restaurant that has been vetted and has a high Turtle ranking. Our goal is simple: we want to direct users to restaurants making Earth-friendly packaging choices. If you want to order from a restaurant JYBE doesn’t yet have a rating for, go for it! Just remember to take a picture of your meal in it’s packaging when it arrives and upload your review to help out future users.