While it's normal for takeout meals to come in disposable containers that have to go in the garbage, one Redditor recently complained when their local provider got excessive with the packaging.
The r/Anticonsumption subreddit is all about reducing waste and calling out the biggest culprits, with the motto "consumerism kills." The community has an entire "plastic waste" flair just for situations like this one.
"They gave me one container just for my sauce," said the frustrated Redditor, sharing a photo for proof. In the picture, the small, plastic "Cane's Sauce" container from the popular Raising Cane's restaurant sits inside a much larger styrofoam clamshell box.
"Maddening," commented the original poster.
There are plenty of problems with this approach. First of all, it's just wasteful. While one takeout container is cheap, applying the same method to hundreds and thousands of orders adds up to a major expense — and costs like that usually get passed on to customers.
Second, it's inconvenient for customers who have to deal with that much more bulky packaging to throw away.
Third, plastic packaging, including styrofoam, is actually surprisingly harmful. It's almost impossible to recycle, and the health risks are significant enough that some cities and states have banned it altogether. Throwing in even more polystyrene packaging is an irresponsible move from a human health perspective and from an environmental perspective.
Commenters hated it just as much as the original poster did. "This makes me want to scream!" said one user.
"This is my biggest pet peeve with Canes. Just put it in with the rest!" said another commenter.
Thankfully, some innovative companies are beginning to come up with alternatives. For example, DeliverZero is working with customers and restaurants to provide reusable fast food containers to protect people and the environment.
Hopefully, this marks the start of a shift to more long-term thinking in the restaurant industry.
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