Living Lightly: Bring an empty take out container with you

A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

If you are like most people you occasionally eat at a favorite restaurant. And like most people you probably don’t always finish your meal.

Well, it’s certainly consistent with the “Living Lightly” philosophy to take home the uneaten portion of your meal, but there’s a way to take “Living Lightly” even a step further — by bringing an empty food container with you in which to place your uneaten food.

You can easily nestle several food containers together and drop them into a pocketbook, a larger coat pocket, or a paper bag on your way out the door. 

Another benefit to this practice besides the health of the planet is the financial health of a small business because the more this idea takes hold, the more restaurants can save on supply costs which just might help to keep the prices down of those entrees (a portion of which you’ve just taken home!)

A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is a naturalist, conservation co-chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, and Conservation Policy Advocate for the Seatuck Environmental Association.