Reusable Plastic Ware Washing: Best Practices for Food Service Operators

One of the biggest challenges our planet faces is the rapidly increasing amount of plastic waste.

Here are some key facts:

• Plastic waste generation has surged from 50 million tons in 1980 to 300 million tons in 2015, a 500% increase.¹
• Only 14% of all plastic waste is recycled.²
• Single-use plastic items like cutlery, plates, cups, and food containers make up 50% of marine litter on EU beaches, posing a severe threat to oceans and aquatic life.³
• Scientists predict that by 2050, there will be more plastic waste than fish in the oceans.⁴

Addressing Plastic Waste Challenges and the EUSingle-Use Plastic ban

In June 2019, the European Union issued the Single-Use Plastic Directive 2019/904 (SUP) to reduce the environmental impact of certain plastic products.⁵ This directive bans the sale of some plastic items, encourages manufacturers to focus on reusability and better waste management, and requires member states to report their progress to the European Commission.

Following the SUP Directive, EU member states have begun changing local laws to require food service operators to switch from single-use plastics to reusable plastic ware, which has a much lower environmental impact. A meta-analysis of six LCA studies shows that if reusable plastic items are washed more than ten times, they have a lower environmental impact than single-use items.⁶

Steps for Food Service Operators to Adopt Reusable Plastic Ware

Switching from single-use plastics to reusable plastic ware is challenging for food service operators. They need to:

1. Select the right type of plastic ware.
2. Manage the logistics of collecting, washing, and storing the ware in space constraint areas.
3. Set up a ware washing operation, either on-site or outsourced to a central place.
4. Choose the best cleaning products to ensure items are hygienically clean and safe to reuse.

Innovative Mechanical Ware Washing Solution for Reusable Plastic Ware Hygiene

Diversey can support customers in making these decisions with best practice recommendations. Additionally, Diversey offers a comprehensive and cost-effective mechanical ware washing solution for reusable plastic ware, which is more difficult to clean and dry than regular ware.

In particular, the drying properties of plastic ware pose a significant challenge, often resulting in residual moisture that can lead to wetness and become a potential hygiene risk. Effective drying not only mitigates hygiene risks but also increases operational efficacy in food service operations.

Diversey’s new solution includes:

• Suma PolyWash L56R, a heavy-duty machine ware washing detergent effective in removing tough dried-in soils and odors, preventing costly rewash and productivity loss, while extending the lifespan of the plastic ware
• Suma PolyDry A9, a concentrated neutral rinse aid that significantly reduce drying times without residual moisture on the ware and without leaving stripes. This mitigates hygiene risks, reduces cycle time, labor and/or energy and enables fast stacking of ware.

As a result, customers can enhance their guests' dining experience with sparkling clean ware free of streaks and bad smells, ensuring brand protection and peace of mind.

Contact Diversey for more information

References

1: Single Use Plastics; A roadmap to Sustainability. United Nations Environmental Programme, 2018 https://www.unep.org/resources/report/single-use-plastics-roadmap-sustainability

2: World Economic Forum (2016). The New Plastic Economy. Rethinking the future of plastics. January https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-new-plastics-economy-rethinking-the-future-of-plastics/

3: Turning the tide on single use plastics – Publications Office of the EU (Europe.eu) https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/fbc6134e-367f-11ea-ba6e-01aa75ed71a1

4: More plastic than fish by 2050 – Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXlxMfsW0nk

5: Single-Use Plastic Directive 2019/904 (SUP) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019L0904&from=DE#d1e869-1-1

6: Single-use plastic tableware and its alternatives. Recommendations from Life Cycle Assessments https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/UNEP-D001-T