Why take-away without plastic always pays

In response to the COVID19 measures, many restaurants have been forced to deliver their meals at home this year. It was interesting to see how they approached this. Where many companies (perhaps against their better judgement) opted for plastic, a growing number of companies were able to offer their dishes in a completely green way and without plastic.

An important question that arises is the following; Why do some restaurants opt for plastic and others for a green alternative?

You would say that restaurants that opt ​​for plastic are mainly interested in the lowest cost price, but that kite is not quite right. The green alternatives have increased in price in recent years as a result of the increased demand for the plastic price. A reason not to be underestimated is mainly ignorance about the green supply. In addition, it is easier to choose products that people are used to and, furthermore, people may underestimate public opinion about the use of plastic.

Are the restaurants that do opt for the green alternative better informed about the green market offer? This is partly because, for example, these companies have often cooked outside during events and festivals. Sustainable disposables often look much better than their plastic counterparts, so they also opt for the green alternative for take-away. In particular, these companies have already gained experience with materials and applications other than plastic, and they have adapted their offer and working method accordingly.

The social media channels have been full of the most beautiful home-made creations in recent months and especially the past few days. A red line in the commentary, however, was the disappointment that after the beautiful dinner they were stuck with a large mountain of plastic waste. With this observation, the willingness to order food more often from the restaurant in question is decreasing visibly. A restaurant then has to make more and more effort (read, invest more) to attract new ordering guests.

Many restaurateurs indicate that they opt for transparent plastic so that the guests can see the food, but that seems to be a minimal advantage that is also outweighed by a greater disadvantage. Due to the choice, guests may not return and plastic cannot go in the oven and is therefore actually much less practical.

Of course everyone has to make do with what they have, but the fact is that companies that opted for greenery suffered much less from non-returning guests, were able to offer more warm-up options and added more value to their offer. You often hear that the slightly higher costs are offset by the better selling price and that means winners on all sides. Even more often you read rave reviews online about the green presentation. Ultimately, it’s about your reputation and your reputation depends on what people are willing and able to tell others about you voluntarily.