They have no place in the recycling stream and therefore in our lives. It would help if the manufacturers would develop materials for their to go containers that could be recycled safely and those recycled materials were then used by them to make more, thereby closing the loop. But that is not the case right now. Most to go containers are not recyclable, either because they can not be sorted or because there is no market for the recycled material. That means billions of containers are sent to the landfill each year!
The changes that are needed from manufacturers are being demanded by some, but not all, consumers; therefore, companies are not very motivated to change their ways. So, until changes are made, we have to make the adjustments in our own lives. It is best to avoid styrofoam and clamshell containers altogether; it’s OK to bring your own container to a restaurant! But, we do understand it is not always possible to avoid these containers.
So, do the environment a favor and think of alternatives. Some of the heavier-duty ones can be used a few times to carry or store food and can even be used in an office or playroom to organize your things.
Check out the discounts you can get at Eco Maniac and Preserve who sell reusable containers online!
Get creative to keep to go container trash out of the recycle bin.