Guide to choosing single

Restaurants face many new regulations and best practices for maintaining safe food service during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. State guidelines for reopening restaurants do not require use of disposable service ware for dine-in service.

There are many considerations when choosing single-use and disposable service ware to purchase for your restaurant or other food business, including cost and environmental impact of the products themselves.

There is no “best” disposable service ware product from an environmental standpoint. Each product’s environmental impact varies, depending on its material, how it was manufactured, packaged and transported and what happens after it is used.

Regional government partners recommend using products made from recycled content materials – the higher the percentage of post-consumer recycled content, the better.

Even though the packaging and marketing say compostable, biodegradable or made-from-plants, no brands of compostable service ware are allowed in Oregon’s composting or recycling system. Oregon composters will not accept this material as it contaminates their final compost product. In Oregon, compostable service ware ends up in the landfill with plastic service ware.

That means businesses may be paying more for compostable service ware because of a perception that it is better for the environment. Compostable service ware does not break down in a landfill, even when the marketing says it is compostable.

Durable Dishware Instead of Disposable City of Portland webpage

Environmental Impact of Packaging and Food Service Ware Oregon Department of Environmental Quality webpage

The truth about compostable packaging and food service ware Oregon Department of Environmental Quality document

Why Oregon composters don’t want compostable service ware Oregon Department of Environmental Quality document