Plastic cutlery ban coming up

BBMP has given food delivery apps time till March 31 to stop sending plastic spoons and forks. Encourage customers to use their own steelware, it is saying

Food delivery companies will have to stop using plastic packaging and cutlery in about a week’s time.

They are also being asked to shift to reusables, and encourage customers to use their own cutlery.

Many of them run their own kitchens, and send their food in plastic bowls and with plastic spoons and forks.

It has been close to a year since the BBMP Council passed a resolution that shops and commercial establishments would lose their licences if they continued to use plastic bags.

A few months after, it imposed restrictions on weddings and banquets too. They were recommended steelware.

The BBMP has been raiding shops, hotels and malls using plastic packaging material.

Zomato, Swiggy and Freshmenu, apps frequently used by Bengalureans to have food delivered to their doorsteps, always send plastic cutlery.

Content curator Nitya Sriram says, “I often order food using delivery apps as I don’t have the time to cook or even run to the office canteen to eat. While I do think about the plastic with every item I order, it’s sort of become a matter of convenience.”

The government may want people to bring their own cutlery but office goers don’t find the option feasible. “You can’t expect us to wash the plates, bowls and cutlery after every meal. Unfortunately, we don’t have the provision to do that either,” she says.

Metrolife ordered food from Freshmenu, and it came with plastic cutlery. The company did not respond to questions about the impending ban either.

Food delivery app Chefkraft has been encouraging customers to return plastic bowls after use, but founder Mohit Mittal says they haven’t been too successful. “Office-goers are not able to hold on to the cutlery till the next order,” he says.

He has found that the customers either throw away the bowls and cutlery or reuse them.

Food delivery app Purple Basil has also been adopting the eco-friendly route since inception.

“We use a 100 per cent zero plastic packaging system — the bowls are areca; we have paper boxes, and use glass bottles for beverages. Yes, it does turn out slightly more expensive but we’ve noticed that if people really care about the environment, they don’t mind,” says founder Dhananjai Raja Kuttikad. The company finalises a menu only if it suits its packaging.

And as for the bigger delivery apps, Zomato says it is adopting biodegradable packaging.

“We have already launched our eco-friendly packaging range and are encouraging our restaurant partners to switch to environment-friendly options. We also plan to provide benefits to restaurants shifting to eco-friendly packaging by giving them additional marketing visibility benefits on our platform. The increased customer interest due to the added benefits will help them offset the additional cost,” a spokesperson says.

Zomato says it is working with manufacturers to reduce the cost of bio-degradable packaging. The alternatives to plastic need to be robust, leak-proof and reusable, the company believes.

“We are also supplying packaging made from bamboo and sugarcane bagasse, and corrugated paper with coatings. We are steadily working towards a plastic-free future with an aim to drive the entire restaurant industry in a sustainable direction,” the spokesperson explains.

Swiggy launched the ‘Swiggy Packaging Assist’ programme months ago. It is a marketplace for restaurants to access a variety of packing solutions to suit their menu, the company says.

“For many months now, over 500 restaurant partners in the city have had access to eco-friendly and innovative packaging material made of paper, corn-starch and glass,” a Swiggy spokesperson explains.

In just a couple of weeks, we will know whether the ban on delivery apps using plastic cutlery and packaging is effective.

Tasting alternatives
Swiggy: Has set up Swiggy Packaging Assist to introduce restaurants to a variety of packaging material.
Zomato: Working with manufacturers to reduce the cost of non-plastic packaging material.
Purple Basil: Zero use of plastic in packaging and cutlery.
Chefkraft: Encourages customers to return plastic bowls and cutlery.

BBMP raids
BBMP raided top restaurants and bars earlier this week for using plastic and not segregating waste. It shut down four establishments, and seized 1,074 kg of plastic.