Cut Out Cutlery

Cut Out Cutlery reduces single-use plastic waste by changing default settings for take out food in delivery apps and restaurants. Why? Because 40 billion plastic utensils are thrown away each year.
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The Problem

Every year, Americans use over 40 BILLION pieces of single-use plastic cutlery. Many of these pieces of cutlery are thrown away without being used. Since most diners are eating at home when they order food, they don’t need extra, unnecessary plastic cutlery.

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Our Solution

Plastic cutlery should be provided by request only, not by default.

By working with major food delivery platforms to encourage them to make a default setting change to provide cutlery by request only, we can easily change a habit of waste.

These are the default setting changes we successfully advocated for at GrubHub, Uber Eats, Postmates,
and DoorDash:

Research shows that “green nudges” in the form of choice architecture can drastically reduce waste. A 2023 study done in China found that the implementation of a “request only” option for plastic cutlery increased the share of no-cutlery orders by 648%.

Graph from: Reducing single-use cutlery with green nudges: Evidence from China’s food-delivery industry” by Guojun He et al. (2023) Science

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“Everyone has one…”

Watch the viral video that made our campaign successful! Many thanks to Buzzfeed for creating this star-studded video!

Cast: Laura Dern, Adam Devine, Senator Ben Allen, Leah Thomas, Emma Rose Cohen, Diz Petit, Postmates.

Our Impact

We successfully advocated for the food delivery apps Grubhub, DoorDash, UberEats, and Postmates to make plastic cutlery available only upon request in 2021.

We followed this with another win in 2022: we spearheaded the initiative to pass AB 1276 into California law, with the help of our engaged base of support. AB 1276 requires restaurants and food delivery apps to provide plastic cutlery and condiments only upon request.

Our Impact
~2.48B
cutlery packs
Prevented from being delivered & entering landfills, 2022-2025 (GrubHub & Postmates)
$65M
savings for restaurants
Est. savings for GrubHub & Postmates, 2022-2025
19K
advocates
Joined our campaign to pressure delivery companies to not offer plastic cutlery as default
How much plastic did we save?
24.8K
metric tons
Prevented from being delivered & entering landfills, 2022-2025 (GrubHub & Postmates)
55
jumbo jets
The mass of 2.48B plastic cutlery packs is equivalent to roughly 55 Boeing 747s
31x
around Earth
# of times a chain of plastic cutlery from 2.48B packs end-to-end could encircle the planet (786,000 miles)
Cut Out Cutlery inspires sustainable legislation nationally!

Over 170 municipalities and 4 states have now
joined Cut Out Cutlery!

Bills passed to #CutOutCutlery
Cities
0
States
0
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Take Action

We have made immense progress, but there is still work to be done! There are more restaurants to encourage participation in Cut Out Cutlery.

We believe that McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Chipotle, and Burger King are the next national chain restaurants that should install an “OPT-IN” feature on their applications to provide users with the following items BY REQUEST ONLY: single-use plastic cutlery, condiment packs, napkins, straws, and other accessories. This will allow them to easily eliminate unnecessary waste.

Send an Email

Let’s make #CutOutCutlery be the new “normal” at national chain restaurants next. Help us today by sending an email with just 1 click to Wendy’s, Burger King, and McDonald’s to request they only provide cutlery when requested by the customer!

We convinced all four major food delivery applications, including Uber Eats, Postmates, Grubhub and most recently, DoorDash to change their default setting so that no one receives plastic cutlery unless they opt-in to request it. We advised these companies on the new plastic cutlery opt-in language and customer experience process.

Our work is not done until all restaurants and food delivery companies comply.

Click here to send an Email
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Restaurant Outreach

Help restaurants communicate with their customers and employees! Download and print a Cut Out Cutlery poster, and ask to display it at your local Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Chipotle, or Burger King.

If you are part of an organization, you also have the option to add your own logo. The poster is also available in 10 languages!

Preview

Upload

Maximum file size 790x260 pixel
File

Download the sign in another language! Want to help with a translation? Email hello@habitsofwaste.org today!

No logo? No problem. We have a poster just for you.

Download Poster Here
Donate to CutOutCutlery!
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Press
earth-911 1

Join #CutOutCutlery in Reducing Single-Use Plastic Waste

https://earth911.com/inspire/cutoutcutlery-reduce-single-use-plastic-waste/

la-times

Getting takeout? You have to ask for plastic utensils in LA now

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-11-15/you-have-to-ask-for-plastic-utensils-and-napkins-in-l-a-now

daily-news
Saving the environment is not a multiple-choice test: Why plastic straws and utensils and other single-use products matter

https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-saving-the-environment-is-not-a-multiple-choice-test-20210422-ia2yhycjy5btzimv3cclmh65b4-story.html

edible

California’s New Bill on Plastic Cutlery

https://edibleeastbay.com/2021/07/24/californias-new-bill-on-plastic-cutlery/

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    Dinner/Tableware Sponsorship Benefits:

    Sponsor all our Non-Plastic tableware at event.

    • Inclusion in all Event Promo Materials with logo
    • Recognition from DJ during event for your sponsorship
    • Signage on all tables as #COC Sponsor
    • Two tickets to event and VIP Reception
    • ALL FLATWARE WILL BE DONATED TO A TITLE 1 SCHOOL

    Cocktail Hour Sponsorship Benefits:

    Sponsor our Cocktail hour featuring all plant-based food.

    • Inclusion in all Event Promo Materials with logo
    • Recognition from DJ during cocktail hour for your sponsorship
    • Signage at event on all bars
    • Four Tickets to Event and VIP Reception

    Auction Sponsorship Benefits:

    • Inclusion in all Event Promo Materials with logo
    • Name on all Auction materials including item and event displays
    • Recognition from Stage during event Live Auction
    • Opportunity to have featured item in Auction. Representative can join on stage for the auctioning of your item
    • Five tickets to Event and VIP Reception

    Entertainment Sponsorship Benefits:

    • Inclusion in all Event Promo Materials with logo including event pages, and marketing
    • Featured social media post as #LCP sponsor at Event
    • Recognition from Emcee during event for your sponsorship
    • Signage at event at DJ Booth and on Stage
    • Five Tickets to event and VIP Reception

    Eco-Changer Benefits:

    • One table of ten with preferred seating
    • Invitation to a VIP reception for each guest
    • Premium bottle service at table for each guest
    • One complimentary raffle entry for each guest

    Eco-Champion Benefits:

    • One table of ten with preferred seating including VIP reception
    • Premium bottle service at table
    • Logo on step and repeat
    • Ability to leverage a partnership with HoW for one year following event
    • Tile/logo on HoW website for one year
    • Posts on social media with logo
    • Featured ad throughout the event on screens
    • Inclusion in all Event Promo Materials

    Eco-Warrior Benefits:

    • Two tables of ten with preferred seating including VIP reception
    • Premium bottle service at table
    • Logo prominently placed on step and repeat
    • Ability to leverage a partnership with HoW for one year
    • Featured Tile/logo on HoW website for one year
    • Multiple Posts on Social Media with logo throughout year
    • Featured ad throughout the event on screens
    • Inclusion in all Event Promo Materials with logo including event pages, marketing and press releases

    Presenting Sponsor Benefits:

    • Three tables of ten with premier seating and VIP Reception
    • Premium bottle service at table
    • Logo prominently placed on Step and Repeat
    • Opportunity for podium welcome
    • Ability to leverage a partnership with HoW for one year following event
    • Featured Tile/logo on HoW website homepage for one year
    • Multiple Posts on social media with logo throughout year
    • Opportunity to exclusively feature products at the event and feature items
    • Featured ad throughout the event on screens
    • Inclusion in all Event Promo Materials as "Presenting Sponsor"
    • Opportunity to have Founder as speaker at corporate gathering/meeting
    #CUTOUTCUTLERY

    #CUTOUTCUTLERY

    “It’s Time, Governor” - New York

    Steps for an Executive Order to help restaurants save money while protecting the planet.

    Step 1:

    Visit https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

    Step 2:

    Fill out the form and select "ENVIRONMENT" for the topic.

    Step 3:

    COPY the pre-written email below and PASTE it in the box that is provided and select "Pro".

    Dear Governor Hochul,

    As you know, restaurants are struggling these days. Our campaign #CutOutCutlery saves restaurant owners money while protecting the planet by reducing single-use plastics. Today, we are asking you to help us by signing an Executive Order to #CutOutCutlery, which is a successful campaign that makes plastic cutlery and accessories available by request only.

    We already convinced Uber Eats and Postmates to switch the default setting in their food delivery applications by making plastic cutlery an OPT-IN feature, available only upon request. Postmates just released data that since joining #CutOutCutlery in October 2019 they saved 122 MILLION packs of plastic cutlery from entering the waste stream. This equates to $3.2 MILLION DOLLARS in savings for restaurants. (We are still waiting on numbers from Uber Eats impact but we understand that it is significantly more than Postmates, as they just delivered their billionth order.)

    If you sign an Executive Order, many restaurants will save money and become more sustainable. Currently, most restaurants include these costly single use plastic accessories even though over 80% of the population (according to a survey conducted by Innovate MR) prefer eating with heavier, stainless steel cutlery. We need to enact a law that will benefit restaurant owners and the environment, by simply requesting plastic cutlery when needed.

    Finally, should New York lead the charge on this, the remaining food delivery applications that have not yet changed their default setting will be obliged to make the change nationwide/globally, since food delivery applications cannot have different default settings in different areas.

    Thank you for your time and consideration of this easy yet very effective request.

    Sincerely,

    (your name here)

    Habits of Waste

    An Environmental Non-Profit Org

     

    Step 4:

    Click SEND MESSAGE and you should receive a confirmation like this one:

    Alternatively, you can print and send the letter to this address:

    #CUTOUTCUTLERY

    “It’s Time, Governor” - California

    Steps for an Executive Order to help restaurants save money while protecting the planet.

    Step 1:

    Visit https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/

    Step 2:

    Enter your name and your email. Choose "Environment issues / Concerns" for your subject.

    Step 3:

    COPY the pre-written email below and PASTE it in the box that is provided and select "Pro".

    Dear Governor Newsom,

    As you know, restaurants are struggling these days. Our campaign #CutOutCutlery saves restaurant owners money while protecting the planet by reducing single-use plastics. Today, we are asking you to help us by signing an Executive Order to #CutOutCutlery, which is a successful campaign that makes plastic cutlery and accessories available by request only.

    We already convinced Uber Eats and Postmates to switch the default setting in their food delivery applications by making plastic cutlery an OPT-IN feature, available only upon request. Postmates just released data that since joining #CutOutCutlery in October 2019 they saved 122 MILLION packs of plastic cutlery from entering the waste stream. This equates to $3.2 MILLION DOLLARS in savings for restaurants. (We are still waiting on numbers from Uber Eats impact but we understand that it is significantly more than Postmates, as they just delivered their billionth order.)

    If you sign an Executive Order, many restaurants will save money and become more sustainable. Currently, most restaurants include these costly single use plastic accessories even though over 80% of the population (according to a survey conducted by Innovate MR) prefer eating with heavier, stainless steel cutlery. We need to enact a law that will benefit restaurant owners and the environment, by simply requesting plastic cutlery when needed.

    Finally, should California lead the charge on this, the remaining food delivery applications that have not yet changed their default setting will be obliged to make the change nationwide/globally, since food delivery applications cannot have different default settings in different areas.

    Thank you for your time and consideration of this easy yet very effective request.

    Sincerely,

    (your name here)

    Habits of Waste

    A California based Non-Profit Org

    Step 4:

    Click SEND MESSAGE and you should receive a confirmation like this one:

    Alternatively, you can print and send the letter to this address:

    Habits of Waste.org

      Habits of Waste.org

        Habits of Waste.org
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