#SkipTheStuff Aims to Reduce Plastic Waste In Denver

How often do you end up not using the plastic utensils and single-use condiments provided by takeout restaurants? Maybe you stuff them away in a drawer somewhere intending to use them one day, but eventually they get tossed in the trash during spring cleaning. Not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the demand for single-use plastics between the medical industry and restrictions on dining out.

A new ordinance known as #SkipTheStuff by Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR) aims to reduce waste from single-use items from restaurants. Now, single-use items such as condiments or utensils may only be provided at customer request.

“This is a simple and effective way to reduce our collective waste,” says Grace Rink, CASR’s chief climate officer. “Businesses can save money on single-use items by only providing what is requested, and customers will no longer need to landfill items when they use their own silverware, spices or condiments at home.”

The #SkipTheStuff ordinance follows Denver’s Bring Your Own Bag program, which as of July 2021, requires stores to charge 10 cents per plastic bag to encourage reusable grocery bags and reduce the city’s plastic waste. Statewide legislation will also ban plastic bags in 2023 and styrofoam containers in 2024, common items in takeout packaging.

Of course, the problem of plastic waste is a huge issue that will take more than these measures to address. As the top producer of plastic waste in the world, congressional reports have called for national strategies to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated within the U.S.

While strategies such as encouraging reusable bags or banning single-use plastics may seem like a small dent to make in the plastic pollution issue, the overall goal of these measures is to encourage the public to think about our relationship with single-use items and make more environmentally conscious decisions as consumers. With millions of tons of plastic waste generated every year, and less than 10 percent of plastic waste actually being recycled, every step to reduce this waste helps.

Information about #SkipTheStuff, including specific information for retailers, can be found at denvergov.org/skipthestuff.