A local pizzeria stirred up exciting conversation in the r/sustainability community on Reddit when a post about their newest idea found its way onto the platform.
With one seemingly small action this pizzeria has created quite the buzz –– they've replaced the typical plastic pizza saver that comes in a pizza box with a bite-sized snack –– a delectable little dough ball.
The original post was written by u/UnintentionalExpat and said, "a local pizzeria started using a dough ball instead of the plastic thingies to keep the pizza intact."
There is much dialogue in the subreddit on whether the intention of the plastic thingies (also known as pizza savers) are to keep the pizza intact. Pizzas get placed in cardboard boxes while still piping hot so we can enjoy them in all of their warm goodness, but this unfortunately has its downside.
The steam from pizzas causes the cardboard boxes to sag in the middle which, when they come in contact with the delicious melty cheese, means one big mess.
The remedy to this problem is typically the use of the plastic pizza savers many of us have seen when we open up our pizza boxes. The issue with this is that for every pizza that gets ordered, a piece of plastic waste has to be produced and is often immediately discarded.
The solution of using a dough ball may seem simple, but it could have meaningful positive environmental impacts if it were to be taken up by other pizzerias. This solution isn't only environmentally impactful through the limiting of plastic waste –– it's also fun and tasty!
This idea is providing some Redditors with a nostalgic glance back into the local pizzerias of their pasts. One user wrote, "That's how they did it when I was a teenager!"
Other Redditors see the possibility of a new tradition on the horizon.
"If this catches on everywhere the new trend will be who gets the dough ball instead of who gets the first slice," wrote one user.
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