Fastfood Wasteland: Tacobell
- a. What are the packages made from?
- b. How many layers of packaging are used for each food item?
- c. Do servers provide utensils, condiments, and napkins, or do customers help
The customers get condiments served and provided by the workers. The condiments are packaged in a plastic wrapping.
- Take the number of people who visited your trashcan in 30 minutes. Multiply this
15 people x 2 = 30
30 x 10 hours = 300
Multiply this result by the number of trashcans per restaurant.
300 x 3 trashcans = 900
Finally, assume that each person deposited trash for an average of 2 customers, and
multiply by 2 to obtain the total to obtain the total number of customers per day.
900 x 2 = 1800
- Estimate what waste items--cups, straws, tray lines, etc.--are thrown away, by the average
- 1 cup
- 1 straw
- 1 plastic bag
- 1 tray lines
- Are separate recycling containers provided for the customers? If so, do signs on the container
to the trash?
No, there is only one container for everything.
- Summarize your findings. Create a table that shows your statistical data and include a
your findings, suggest ways in which the amount of trash could be reduced. Be sure to include
the following:
Conclusion:
* Fast-food restaurant, date and time of your visit along with your classmates.
* Ways to avoid producing certain types of waste altogether
* Ways to replace disposable items with reusable ones
* Discussion of what waste items could be recycled or composted
* Ways to replace non-recyclable, non-compostable items that can be recycled or composted
To avoid many kinds of wastes, we should have options from the store. For example, if we want to use our own bags, then we should have the option to use it instead of adding the extra plastic bags for us. This should also go for straws, napkins, ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. To replace disposable items with reusable ones, people can start bringing their own condiments such as knives, forks, spoons, and napkins. This also makes it so that the customers won't have to use the condiments from the store. Coming from the restaurant that we came from (KFC/Tacobell) there are many things that can be recycled. Most of the condiments were recyclable such as the forks and straws which were made out of plastic. I think that by making it out of paper and plastic, it has a potential to be recyclable. To replace the non recyclable items, I think that the company can use cups or plates like in the buffet which are washable by hand and doesn't require to be thrown away.