Fast Food

1.Choose a fast-food restaurant to study. Arrange to spend 1 hour at the restaurant with 2 to 4 of your classmates to gather data. Starbucks

2. Throughout this study, be as quiet and as unobtrusive as possible, and avoid aggravating the restaurant management or customers.

3. At the restaurant, observe how food is packaged as it is served. Make notes about the type of packaging used, paying particular attention to the following questions: a. What are the packages made from? Paper cups- 10% post consumer recycled fiber Napkin- 100% recycled content, 40% post-consumer fiber Plastic cup- polypropylene cup uses 15% less plastic Paper sleeve- 85% post consumer fiber, 34% less paper than their original b. How many layers of packaging are used for each food item? 2 if you count the sleeves of the cups as a packaging. c. Do servers provide utensils, condiments, and napkins, or do customers help themselves? How are the condiments packaged? Both. Some condiments are singled packaged and some are in containers. 4. Choose a centrally located trash container and observe it for 30 minutes. Count the number of people who deposit trash in the container in that time. Makes notes about how frequently you see items other than empty packaging (food waste, unused napkins, condiment packages,etc.) go into the trash container. About 16 people 5. Estimate the total number of customers per day as follows: Take the number of people who visited your trashcan in 30 minutes. Multiply this number by 2, and then multiply it by the number of hours per day the restaurant is open. 16 * 2 = 32

Multiply this result by the number of trashcans per restaurant. 32 * 3 = 96

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 96 * 4 = 384

6. Estimate what waste items--cups, straws, tray lines, etc.--are thrown away, by the average customer. Based on this estimate, how many of each item would be thrown away each day? 1 plastic cups, 1 paper cup, 1 straw, 2 condiments, 2 napkins Based on my estimate about 1134 of these items are thrown away each day. 7. Are separate recycling containers provided for the customers? If so, do signs on the container make it clear which waste items are supposed to go into the recycling containers and which go to the trash? Recycling is provided, and yes it is clear.

8. Summarize your findings. Create a table that shows your statistical data and include a description of the types and amount of waste generated at the restaurant you visited. Based on 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

People in thirty minutes

One hour

One day

Trash per day

Amount

16

32

384

1134

On February 18th of 2014, my classmates and I went to Starbucks to observe people at 4:27 in the afternoon. They sell reusable cups in Starbucks. They also promote bring your own cup to reduce the amount of trash being thrown every day by providing an incentive for the customer. If you bring your own cup, then youll get a 10% off of your purchase I think. They try to avoid wastes by using post-consumer products, and providing a places to dispose recyclable products. There are many items in Starbucks that can be recycled. All of their cups (plastic and paper) are made of materials that are recyclable. They do not have a compost bin that is out in the open, but I think that they do compost their coffee grinds. Most of their products are recyclable so I think this is a pretty good place to go to.