I have talked about trash recently but with visitors in town I have noticed a new trash phenomena- the trash from eating out. Normally we don’t eat out very often because it is expensive and isn’t always the healthiest food. Yet, when we have visitors in town (often parents) we generally eat out a few times. With eating out comes leftovers, since most portions in restaurants are too large. With leftovers come boxes and that is the issue.
I have noticed that many places in Denver are starting to steer clear of the styrofoam containers, but most containers are still not recyclable. Many places like compostable boxes or the heavy cardboard boxes with waxed lining. They are nice but I am not able to recycle either types. This means they end up in the trash, just adding to your weekly garbage collection. As I have said before, we don’t produce much trash for a family of three on an average week. After a weekend of eating out and all the leftovers associated with that, we generally have two trash bags by the end of the week. Not only do take out boxes add to our trash but they are often very bulky and take up a lot of room in the bag.
I don’t really know how to get around this issue besides eating out less. Which as I stated earlier, we generally only eat out when we have visitors in town. I could bring my own container for leftovers but I never think of this until I get home and have to deal with the box itself.
Anyone else face this issue and have solutions?
