Takeaway Packaging Leafeco.co.uk

Can a Takeaway be Zero Waste?

Along my journey of Zero Waste, I was tempted with the craving of a Takeaway.
And I gave in!

Surprisingly there were only 3 items that could not be recycled. 

In case you are wondering why there is a banana bag, I had a banana as a dessert afterwards. So it wasn’t strictly part of my Takeaway but it’s included as it was part of my meal.

Takeaway Packaging Leafeco.co.uk

From left to right:

  1. x3 Aluminium foil trays
  2. Banana bag
  3. Empty kitchen roll
  4. Polystyrene box
  5. x2 Plastic tubs with lids
  6. Large cardboard box filled with a paper liner and x3 paper lids to seal the x3 aluminium foil trays
  7. Brown paper bag
  8. White Paper bag
  9. Plastic bag
  10. Thermal food bag, paper on the outside and soft aluminium on the inside.

    All of the items apart from the banana bag, polystyrene tray and plastic bag can be recycled.

What I have learnt from my Takeaway

  • It is too easy to bring home items that have a tremendous negative impact on our environment.
  • I could have made a home version of my Takeaway and reduced my household waste whilst saving money.
  • It is possible I can limit the purchase of bananas. Over here in the UK bananas can’t be grown naturally. The carbon emissions created to harvest, transport and package bananas to the UK is very high. My options are to stop buying bananas in the future or to just buy them loose without the packaging.

What I am going to do next

  • Find a use for the polystyrene tray.
  • Reuse the banana bag to store loose vegetables inside my fridge
  • Make a draught excluder and use the plastic bag as an inside filling.
  • Reuse the x2 plastic tubs to hold small stationary and bobbins inside my sewing box.

Now I will think twice before I order a Takeaway. 
We all have them moments when we may slip up on our Zero Waste journey.

Follow the rest of my Zero Waste journey [click here]