Knitting an action net to reduce plastic waste: reusable takeout food containers in New York City

ABSTRACT

The paper presents an analysis of actions undertaken to promote and implement reusable takeout food containers in New York City in response to the overuse of plastic disposable single-use containers. It discusses, in detail, the emergence of an action net around this issue and business models for reusables. The paper contributes to the theoretical discussion on network emergence by analyzing the formation and axiological tensions within the action net. Currently, market solutions are the only ones exercised and perceived as achievable by network participants, who consider market conditions as both given and unchallengeable. The paper argues that chances for network expansion depend on network participants’ perceptions of the limitations of social change.

KEYWORDS:

• reusable takeout containers
• action net
• actor-network
• waste prevention
• modes of justification

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Laura Rosenshine and Naama Tamir for their help with this research project. I am grateful to Caitlin Zaloom and Lily Chumley, as well as to the Special Issue editors and two anonymous reviewers, for their valuable comments on the earlier versions of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Agata Dembek http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5846-5228

Notes

1 Zero Waste and OneNYC: https://onenyc.cityofnewyork.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/OneNYC-Strategic-Plan-2015.pdf [30.11.2019]

2 The European Union's approach to waste management prioritizes reduction and reusing over recycling and recovering (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/index.htm [13.11.2018]; see also: Camacho-Otero et al., 2018)

3 A list of interviewees with the durations of the recordings can be found in the Appendix. I also conducted extended conversations with participants during the Reusables Working Group and Business Group meetings.

4 The group evolved into the Reusable Task Force: http://reducesingleuse.nyc/ [20.06.2019]

5 In the US context California is more progressive than New York in its plastic-restricting regulations, having banned free single-use plastic bags in 2014 and in September 2018 having passed a bill forbidding handing out plastic straws in full-service restaurants unless a customer requests one.

6 ‘The Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB) is a volunteer citizens’ advisory board dedicated to helping NYC achieve its zero waste goals. We advise the Manhattan Borough President, City Council, City Administration and others on policies and programs regarding the development, promotion and operation of the City’s waste prevention, reuse and recycling programs. We are a Board comprised of solid waste management industry, waste reduction and diversion consultants, sustainability professionals, and concerned citizens.’ The Board meets monthly and meetings are open to the public. http://www.manhattanswab.org/ [13.11.2018]

7 Along with the evolution of the Reusables Working Group into the Reusables Task Force, the organization of the work changed, and different objectives were actually designed into the sub-groups in order to gather people equipped with relevant skills and increase work efficiency.

8 ‘A Business Improvement District (BID) is a geographical area where local stakeholders oversee and fund the maintenance, improvement, and promotion of their commercial district.’ https://www1.nyc.gov/site/sbs/neighborhoods/bids.page [30.10.2018]

9 ‘An establishment that does not wash and sanitize patrons’ containers before reuse must obtain Department approval of a written standard operating procedure that demonstrates that there is no contamination of food and/or food contact surfaces. The written procedure must be available on the premises and made available at the time of Department inspection.’

10 In October 2019, after the submission of this paper, the popular fast-casual restaurant chain Dig launched their own reusables program, based on a mobile app Canteen by Dig (https://info.diginn.com/canteen, 30.11.2019), encouraging customers to return the reusable bowls to participating Dig’s locations. The bowls are washed and handled by the restaurant. (Stine 2019; Fassler 2019)

11 According to the EPA, only 26.4% of glass waste from residential, commercial and institutional sources was recycled in 2015 (most recent data available: EPA 2018).

12 According to a Just Salad representative, the reusable bowl program saves about 75,000 lbs of plastic annually. The firm also estimates that about a quarter of their customers use reusable bowls.

13 36 people participated in the ShareWare team’s informational survey, and only two meals were finally ordered using ShareWare, for a total of three containers. Two of the three containers used were returned to a restaurant.

14 ‘A multidisciplinary hackathon organized in partnership with the NYC Department of Sanitation. The theme is reuse and the goal is to generate solutions that will shift the paradigm around waste and reuse in NYC.’ http://www.manhattanswab.org/events/2017/10/27/hacktrashnyc [13.11.2018]

15 https://www.goboxpdx.com/ [13.11.2018]

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Mobility Plus Program [grant number 1634/MOB/V/2017/0].