Okanagan restaurant challenges restaurants to cut Styrofoam use

Arestaurantin Kelownawantsto eliminateStyrofoam packaging fromits premises, including take-out containers and the foam packaging used by suppliers who deliverfood to its kitchens.

RauDz Regional Table, a restaurant in downtown Kelowna, is attempting tocut outStyrofoam byusingbiodegradable containers for takeout packaging. The restaurant is alsochallenging its food suppliers to deliver food to the restaurant inreusablecontainers.

And it wantsotherOkanaganrestaurants to take the same steps.

Cities acrossCanada are grappling with the issue oftakeout containers. A Vancouverreport from 2017 said 2.6 million paper coffee cups, and unknown amounts offoamtakeout food containers are thrown out each week.

Reducing single-use containers is a priority for many municipalwaste strategies. And restaurants are also starting their own initiatives.

Challenge issued

"It's a huge problem," Chef BernardCasavant, executive director atRauDz,toldRadio Westhost SarahPenton.

Casavant notedthe amount of Styrofoamthat comes into restaurauntkitchens from food suppliersis also high.

"It's not just local. This is a national and international problem."

RauDz owner Chef Rod Butters publicly challenged chefsat theOkanaganChefs Association meeting in early Februaryto say no to Styrofoam.

How suppliers are making the change

JonathanCrofts,co-owner of fishmonger Codfathers in Kelowna, says his business hasnowbegunusing reusable plastic tote containerswith sealed lids like those used for office supplies for fishdeliveries. These are used to bothunload and clear out the fish at restaurants.

"It was just a natural progression, really," said Crofts of the switch from Styrofoam.

In the wake ofButters' challengeat the chef's associationmeeting, Codfathers plansto be eliminateStyrofoam use entirely by the end of March. While buying reusable containers is more expensive than buying Styrofoam, Crofts says it will not affect his business' costs in the long-run.

"There is a one-off cost for the containers ... But I can't really see any drawbacks. Environmentally it's great."

Crofts says the switch from Styrofoam to reusable totes will savetime for restaurants and food suppliers. Chefs will now have to inspectthe food immediately rather than wait until after the food has been unpacked. If there are any mistakes with the order or quality of the food, chefs will know immediately.

"It [also]means the product is being stored immediately in the correct way and is being efficiently moved into refrigeration," said Crofts.

The president of the OkanaganChefs Association brought Butters' initiative to the B.C. Chef's Association conference on Feb. 23. All branch presidents present at the conference adopted the initiative, according to Casavent. He says the next plan is to take the initiative to anational chefs association meeting in May.

Listen to the full interview:

With files by Radio Westand Rachel Maclean.