Zero-Waste Voyagers “RECYCLING IS NOT ENOUGH.” That’s a mantra Rethinking Plastic lives and breathes by. The volunteer-driven campaign has been connecting with restaurants and consumers throughout Sarasota County since 2017 on the hot-button issue of eliminating single-use plastics, and thus protecting our coastal land, ocean and marine life. “There is a huge learning curve when it comes to single-use plastic and its alternatives,” say Rethinking Plastic founders Cat Dillard and Jana Hoefling. The organization’s team of volunteers donates its time to guide restaurants both in the dining-in and to-go transition to reduce excess packaging in their daily operations by converting to eco-smart resources. With a hyper-focus on items they refer to as the “bad five”—clamshell polystyrene takeout containers, plastic cups/lids/straws, plastic bottles, plastic bags and plastic utensils—the BadFive Free (BFF) program works with businesses to source and utilize more eco-minded solutions to combat their carbon waste footprint. “As a community, we can begin to make an immediate and substantial impact on plastic pollution by refusing these single-use items, and begin to use alternatives and reusables,” say Dillard and Hoefling. The applaudable BadFive Free stamp celebrates local restaurants that refuse single-use plastic. When a restaurant obtains “BFF” recognition, they’ve successfully figured out how to provide patrons with options to mitigate each individuals’ waste footprint. Among the local dining spots taking advantage of Rethinking Plastic’s services is Leaf & Lentil. The family-owned, fastcasual vegan eatery signed on early to become #BFF compliant—having completed all five stars by working closely with Dillard and Hoefling. By only using plant-based/paper to-go packaging and offering cooler drinks that are in glass or aluminum containers, Leaf & Lentil eliminated all single-use plastic serveware and materials within its operations. “Finding alternatives to plastic has been harder than I ever expected but worth the effort,” says Sheila Siegel, co-owner of Leaf & Lentil. “We’ve especially struggled with product availability a bit during this pandemic, but watching The Story of Plastic documentary and being a part of Rethinking Plastic’s coalition has committed us to trying that much harder.” Indigenous and Blu Kouzina are among other restaurants taking the pledge. Sarasota Sailing Squadron is close to gaining its fifth star for its on-site social events, while MADE and the former 1812 Osprey made are working toward eco-alternatives for three of the BadFive. “Because single-use plastics are not going away anytime soon, we have recently started to research two methods of eliminating it that are gaining traction around the world,” Dillard and Hoefling say. “EPR and incineration.” EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) legislation is being used across the country for items like car batteries, paint, mattresses, etc. This method shifts the responsibility of the end of an article’s life from the consumer to the manufacturer. “During the time of quarantine and the popularity of take-out food, the amount of single-use plastic has skyrocketed,” they say. “Restaurants are struggling to survive and the environment has suffered. While we understand the dilemma, we hope to get back on track soon.” SRQ —Brittany Mattie
Any local establishment or business can get on board with the cause by reaching out to info@ rethinkingplastic.org. Those that have already committed to reducing single-use plastics in their businesses can sign a pledge on rethinkingplastic.org.
Pictured left to right: Cat Dillard and Jana Hoefling of Rethinking Plastic
SRQIST_SRQDEC20.indd 34
11/17/20 2:37 PM