For some it's an everyday hero, for others it's an environmental sin par excellence: Opinions are indeed divided when it comes to plastic. But the fact is that single-use plastic in particular has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Single-use plastic has long since become a practical and indispensable helper, especially in the catering industry, with which not only food and drinks can be easily sold outside the home. Plastic packaging is also almost indispensable in the catering industry for hygiene reasons, as it protects food, ensures food safety and extends its shelf life.
However, this has been over since 2021 at the latest, when the EU-wide ban on single-use plastic and the EU Plastic Regulation came into force. This primarily affects disposable items such as Straws and cotton swabs, plastic dishes and food packaging made of Styrofoam, which are already polluting the environment and the world's oceans in large numbers and are causing our earth to slowly turn into a gigantic trash can.
The EU's plastic regulation is also an important step in the fight against increasing plastic waste, but at the same time it also represents a major challenge for the catering industry. They are now forced to look for environmentally friendly and practical alternatives for their business. But even if this change initially sounds like a big challenge, in the long term it has significantly more advantages than disadvantages!
Green alternatives in the kitchen and dining room are often cheaper and more practical than their plastic version
Admittedly, the switch to sustainable alternatives, which this plastic regulation requires, sounds very complex and expensive at first. On the one hand, several environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives have to be compared with each other in order to find the right packaging material for your own business. On the other hand, replacing single-use plastic always means a higher, one-off financial investment, but this also increases in the long term saves significant money. Especially replacing the dishwashing brush, cutting board and straws sustainable and long-lasting alternatives like our Turtleneck Straw is worth it in several ways. This not only reduces general waste in the kitchen and dining room in the long term, but also significantly reduces running costs. In addition, using cutting boards made of wood or cork also has the advantage that, in contrast to the plastic version, they have an antibacterial effect and are gentle on knives and wrists.
Containing plastic also means creating a positive image and long-term business success
Companies that specialize in out-of-home sales in particular usually rely on disposable packaging so that their food and drinks reach the customer hot, hygienically and safely. In this area, too, there are already numerous green alternatives made from sugar cane, corn starch and bamboo, which have clear advantages compared to Styrofoam packaging, especially for out-of-home sales. On the one hand, they are often significantly cheaper to purchase, are partially biodegradable and keep food and drinks fresh and warm longer than conventional Styrofoam packaging. On the other hand, they also contribute significantly to creating a positive image of the company towards its guests. Because the switch to green alternatives not only shows future-oriented thinking, but also responsible actions by catering establishments towards the environment, which is perceived positively by guests and contributes to a sustainable, positive image.
In addition, the use of reusable tableware is an environmentally friendly way to reduce plastic waste in out-of-home businesses. Equipped with a deposit system, they can be reused for a long time and can easily be returned by the customer with the next order. And by switching to reusable CoffeeToGo cups, you can not only save a lot of plastic waste thanks to the EU plastic regulation. They are also printed with your own logo great advertising material with high recognition value and also strengthen the sustainability image of the catering business.
An intact environment ensures long-term business success
And last but not least, it is also worth switching to green alternatives for long-term business success. Because right now Restaurants and hotels As the mainstay of tourism, they are highly dependent on an intact environment. Irreparable damage to these by plastic waste also means a decline in visitor numbers, which has a long-term impact on the economic viability of individual businesses. The change to sustainable alternatives therefore not only effectively curbs plastic on the market, but also ensures long-term business success.