A Lunch Box for a Sustainable Future

Do you know a tumbler? According to "Wikipedia", it is a flat-bottomed beverage container for drinking made of plastic, glass, etc. Recently I saw many people use tumblers more naturally than before at the cafe. But the effect of using the tumbler is more powerful than we thought. Because while making disposable paper cups, there is carbon dioxide emission a lot which is one of the main reasons for global warming. 
So using a tumbler at the cafe instead of a paper cup is good action for a sustainable future. Then how about at a restaurant? I think personal lunch box can take a role like a tumbler can do. It can reduce the amount of food waste, disposable products and also it can be economical.  


First, carrying a lunch box in a daily basis can reduce the amount of food waste. When I order some food at a restaurant, there can be a moment that the dish is too much. So I had to let them be thrown away. But at that time, if I can take the rest of the dish on my lunch box, there cannot be food waste from my dishes. I think it is a good idea for both, the restaurants and the customers. Because accumulated food waste from customers' dishes can be definitely burdensome for the restaurants to deal with.


Second, carrying a lunch box in a daily basis can reduce the amount of disposable products. These days, a lot of people are aware of the food waste problem. So a lot of restaurants tend to try packaging services if the customers have the leftover. But most of packaging services are using disposable packaging containers. So it's irony. Because on the one side, it is reducing the food waste. But on the other side, it is increasing the disposable products at the same time. So that's why a personal lunch box is needed particularly I think.


And lastly, carrying a lunch box can be economical for users. This is from my personal experience. When I ordered some food at lunch, there was a big dish I couldn't expected. So I asked the staff to pack that and then I had that again at dinner. I mean if you take your leftover on your lunch box, you can eat them again whenever you want. I think it is really a good thing. You don't have to pay for a new meal.


Carrying a personal lunch box can be quite burdensome and the atmosphere is quite awkward. Because it is not common culture for taking out a personal lunch box at restaurants. But if it gets more common like the way of the tumblers at the cafe these days, it will be a really good action for a sustainable future. And also I hope that there will be new types of lunch boxes which is comfortable to carry outside.














<Reference>
http://m.post.naver.com/viewer/postView.nhn?volumeNo=4524358&memberNo=15002314&vType=VERTICAL

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20160922/80389617/1