To want to write to my MP about Chinese plastic tubs

[mismomary]

Yesterday I was going to cook a chicken casserole. All the ingredients were purchased, some already laid out on the kitchen counter. I was looking forward to it. I knew it was going to take about an hour to make. But somehow I couldn't get my arse in gear. It's an exeat weekend and I just flopped on the sofa watching a film with DC and lit the fire. Chicken casserole didn't happen and suddenly everyone is starving. So out come the ancient Chinese menus. I've even written "don't do it" on one. But we did it.

And it arrives in trillions of those plastic tubs. I already a cupboard dedicated to them, three columns - large, small, lids. I don't need any more and they are non recyclable. Aren't they? Aren't they the single use plastic that is supposed to be banned? I don't understand. Why can't we do the glamorous cardboard boxes like America. Why?????

Are the kids a sacrifice because you can't reuse the containers?

My only gripe with the plastic containers is that they come in ever so slightly different shapes and sizes. So even though you think you have matching lids and containers, the lid doesn't fit by half a millimeter so you're sorting through piles of identical looking lids to get a proper fit.

I reuse them for other non food things. For example sorting lego out so all small pieces of one sort are kept together in a box, or storing kids jigsaw puzzle pieces separately, so for example when you get four puzzles in a big box, you can have one puzzle in each box, then stick all for plastic tubs inside the big box.

What annoys me is that boxes from different takeaways are slightly different sizes, so whilst they might look the same, the lids from one won't fit the box from another.

We both posted the same gripe at the same time. 😂

@applesblowinginthewind

🤣🤣

OP you can post them on a recycling app like Olio or similar if you have too many and someone will take them off you. Or just offer them to your neighbours. People always find a use for them. They are reusable, but they don't last forever - once mine have gone through the dishwasher a few times they crack so I put them in the recycling.

And yes we only get takeaways once every couple of months and end up with a cupboard full every time!

I suppose it would add quite a bit of time to their super-efficient operation.

Having to identify which containers belong to which customer, and then which of them they want you to use for this dish and which for that one; then they give you one that's too small for the portion to fit into, or they give you a massively oversized one and complain that you've ripped them off as it's only a third full!

Not to mention if they haven't washed them out properly and they end up getting sick from THEIR food residue and blaming YOU for it!

It's a lot more complicated than a coffee cup that's only ever had coffee in it - and you hand them one cup which they immediately fill with one new drink for you.

@SprayWhiteDung , You can't compare a takeaway to a lay or concert without coming across as a philistine.

I think they'd be fine with it ( perhaps a little puzzled at first ) as long as they are roughly the same size as the ones they use so they dont accidentally overfill/ give you to much , after all it saves them money too.

In theory we should be able to take any container to the takeaway and buy the food by weight.
That way you would also get exactly the amount of food you want no left overs ( 😯 😢 😡) wasted
A bit like the old Weigh 'n' Save's

I am with the OP on the glamour of those foldy cardboard boxes you see in American films. I fell in love with them when Cliff Barnes used to order them for his regular dates with JR's cast offs...

Yes, they definitely need to standardise container sizes and the lids that go with them, so that different-sized ones are very obviously different without having lots that differ in size and fit by the tiniest fraction.

Most councils recycle them and the cardboard boxes aren't recyclable because theyre lined with plastic.

Only way theyd improve is if they used aluminium trays

We need something similar to the old Corona fizzy pop system. 10p/20p extra cost on each container, which you get refunded off your next takeaway when you take them back clean.

Then if you want a few for home use - for freezer casserole, assorted nails or batteries or whatever - they've only cost you a small amount; but that would stop people from accumulating hundreds of un-needed ones that just fester in the cupboard.

No , you would keep the container at home like you do with your coffee cup.
I think ( @NannyR can you clarify) that you would buy / get the metal boxes from the takeaway the 1st time you go, take your food home and enjoy it . Wash and store the tin until you want another takeaway then take it back to be refilled.
Of course there are going to be times when you are out and you want to call in on your way home so it wouldn't work then
And also it wouldn't work for delivery companies, but it would be great for collections.

I much prefer the plastic tubs to the disposable plastic lined cardboard or (gasp) styrafoam. At least they can be reused and recycled. We have a small stash of them for sending home cookies when my daughter bakes with friends and that sort of thing. Pizza boxes are problematic too as you can’t recycle most of them. There’s no great option for single use stuff, everything comes with an issue.

We give bundles to our local school now and again for the home economics department. Or the nursery for paint. Crafters for storage.

I just post in the local buy/sell Facebook group and first come gets them.

I like this idea but I think it puts more pressure on the staff at the takeaway, we all know washing plastic is a faff because the never seem to dry properly , so as I said in my previous post we should take our own ( or the takeaways metal container like @NannyR can ) to the takeaways.

@mismomary thank you for starting this thread it's given me something to ponder while I am waiting for my shopping to be delivered 🙂

So they would have to be containers that you originally got from them, and not any old ones of your own? Makes sense, I suppose.

Could still be logistically challenging if you've got five multi-dish orders on the go in the kitchen at the same time, though.

Especially if there are meaty meals and veggie meals between customers (or even the same one), and the latter meals can't be put in containers that originally held the former. Not to mention the harmless but deep stains that curry often leaves in the containers.

They are useful because I haven’t had to buy plastic boxes for ages but they also go weird quite quickly and I’ve got no idea what they’re made from. I guess maybe takeaways switched from metal to plastic because everyone got a microwave and people kept trying to microwave the metal ones? But that’s not the takeaway’s fault. Some supermarkets are doing a bit better with using less plastic after the campaign a few years ago. So maybe there should be another one for takeaways. Some waterproof cardboard uses cellulose instead of plastic inside, and I thought aluminium was “infinitely recyclable” but that might’ve just been marketing from “Big Metal”!

You could offer them back to the takeaway for reuse? They might appreciate it and give you a freebie!

Look just be thankful that people in some countries recycle. If we didn’t the world would be in an even worse state!

@SprayWhiteDung , I agree , it could get confusing in a busy kitchen as to who owns which containers if they are serving more than one customer the same meal .
But I don't think cross contamination within your own containers would be a problem unless the person is very particular about not eating of a plate / bowl / fork that had meat or alergins on it at some point ( obviously throughly washed in-between uses )

Tbh , I realise it would be a huge undertaking for any takeaways so unfortunately I don't think it would ever become very common place , but I can see potential.

In case people didn’t know, recycling in England is changing. Everyone is going to have the same bins and all councils will recycle the same stuff, so no more confusing “this is what I can recycle here” stuff. This explains a bit more https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/simpler-recycling-in-england-policy-update/simpler-recycling-in-england-policy-update#timelines

Our local Indian takeaway has introduced compostable packaging. Wish others would do this too.
I made a suggestion to JustEat that they should put a 🌿 or other symbol on the app to indicate where a restaurant providing compostable packaging.

Heeeee they are air up bottle capsules. Possibly peach flavour.

Yey I'm really please too!