Are places near you using disposable cutlery etc?

[chipsndippy]

Been to a pub to sit outside for lunch today...how lovely. I was concerned that they are using disposable plates, cutlery, and plastic cups for soft drinks but thought it must be in the government guidance to be covid safe - it isn't.

Am I missing something? It's environmentally disastrous if thousands of pubs and restaurants are doing this, and given that everything goes in the dishwasher at a high temp, surely not necessary!

Not necessary at all, I agree. And what a waste, and how much rubbish gets produced, too.

I don't know as I haven't been out to eat but had I this would put me off more than any Covid fear. It's a tragedy how Covid has reversed the progress we were making. Makes me want to go and join XR.

They were probably using up what they purchased last year when people were not touching anything.

@Mindymomo maybe, but it's a lot of crap going to landfill. They just had ordinary bins everywhere so didn't look like they were recycling it either. Won't be going back!

I don't agree with this at all. Surely all normal silver stuff Can go in the dishwasher? I don't see the problem. It is completely wasteful And not good for the environment.

I've been out twice this week. Pub had usual glasses, cutlery and plates, all looked very clean. Cafe served coffee in disposable cups and brownie in paperbag.

Well I've given them a review on trip advisor and mentioned it...so will see if they take any notice.

Not the cutlery but I wonder if it’s partly to do with breakages, not wanting broken glass and crockery to tidy up?

I've only used Takeaway places and they are always like that!

We went to a garden centre cafe the other day and were baffled to be served food in a cardboard box.

A place near me started using disposables after reopening in August last year. They said it was for safety but I suspect it was to use up stuff they bought for takeaway while closed for lockdown and also to save on hiring a kitchen porter.

They even said on their website that they were BYOC (bring your own crockery) and it would ‘enhance your experience’ to bring real plates and wine glasses!! 😂

Can you imagine walking home with a box of dirty plates!

Now I don’t think anyone is still doing this.

I'm away at a caravan club site. Normally they're great at recycling but there are no recycling bins at all at the moment.

I suspect this and the takeaway cartons for eat in customers are more to do with making life easier for staff as they'll have so many extra duties/difficulties to contend with.

It will be so they don't have to un furlough staff to wash up .

I can't imagine trying to cut into a steak with a plastic knife.

I'd go with not having the space to have the pot wash back in safely as the culprit. I've been in a lot of bars and restaurants for work and a surprising number don't have a dishwasher machine. It's normally for lack of space to put one big enough for it to actually work. Small size industrial dishwashers just seem to work like sanitizers rather than actually doing much washing.

@Oblomov21

I don't agree with this at all. Surely all normal silver stuff Can go in the dishwasher? I don't see the problem. It is completely wasteful And not good for the environment.

Hygiene theatre. Look how SAFE we are, single use, nobody else will have breathed on your cutlery, no Covid here, we're so much better and cleaner than that manky cafe down the road with their dishwasher.

You only have to read some threads on here to see what people are like regarding hygiene and Covid. All the anti-bac fans and bleach your shopping people would LOVE this.

And for them it's bugger the environment. Who cares about litter when you can have clean, sterile and single-use?

Are that unless it can be recycled it’s not good for the environment but I can see why they might find it easier outdoors re breakages and some may not like using things others have had.

Thinking about the size of your average pub kitchen I do suspect that squeezing an extra body in there to do the washing up would introduce a measurable level of additional risk.

It will put me off going there.

I've been out a few times since the 12th, once for a pub meal, and a couple of different cafes.
Proper cutlery at all of them, not disposable.

I went to a cafe this week that gave us wooden knives and forks. It was a bit unpleasant.

Surely cutlery goes in a dishwasher and is cleaned perfectly safely that way?