“I don’t go home first to get a bowl for my fries”

Above the bear claws, nasi discs and spring rolls, a self-brought container adorns the shiny glass counter. But placing the order there? No way, say Lakis Alexopoulos and his mother Georgia of cafeteria Edison in the Zuilen district of Utrecht. “Your own trays are not allowed to come over the counter from the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, you don’t know where such a tray has been. Imagine it has dog hair on it, or something else.” Moreover, „there will soon be a line up to the tree outside. If all those people bring their own containers, then you really don’t know who owns which containers.”

Since Saturday, mother and son have been charging five cents per black plastic container to every customer who buys a snack with sauce. That sauce in particular requires plastic packaging. Things like meatballs and croquettes can be loose in a paper bag. Alexopoulos has just received samples of a sustainable alternative: a more expensive cream-colored sugar cane container. One hundred percent compostable, it says on the bottom. It feels solid. “I’m going to try that next week.” Gyros fries in particular have high demands. “Meat is heavy and there is a lot of sauce. Paper trays don’t hold up.”

Since 1 July, snack bars and other catering establishments are no longer allowed to give or deliver free plastic disposable containers and cups. And filling stations and supermarkets are no longer allowed to pack their meal salads and coffee in plastic for free. Customers have to pay for this, and entrepreneurs have to offer a reusable option. For example, the government wants to reduce the waste mountain and reduce plastic litter – every day we throw away 19 million single-use plastic packaging. The government would prefer that customers bring their own pan or container.

The latter in particular is completely unworkable, says Frans van Rooij, director of the trade association for chip shops ProFri. “The government wants to go faster than companies can handle it again.” Many entrepreneurs have already switched to a sustainable alternative such as cardboard or sugar cane, he says – containers made of bamboo or palm leaf are too expensive for fast food.

All in all, we are, to put it mildly, not very enthusiastic.

Shella Cortissos hospitality sector organization VCHO

The step to reuse is still too big for many small businesses. Large companies, such as McDonald’s, offer a recyclable cup with a euro deposit. And there are already a few companies that offer reusable solutions, such as WeCup and the German Vytal. But for the time being they are far too expensive for small entrepreneurs, says Shella Cortissos of the trade association for Chinese-Asian hospitality entrepreneurs VCHO. “They have to purchase those trays, they have to be able to demonstrate that they are reused. And they have to clean them according to hygiene requirements. That requires extra space, extra staff, suitable dishwashers.”

Then there is another practical challenge: the surcharge for the packaging must be indicated separately on the receipt. “Some older cash register systems are not equipped for this,” says Cortissos. “All in all, we are, to put it mildly, not very enthusiastic. This was clearly conceived behind a desk.”

Entrepreneurs are also not satisfied with communication. Alexopoulos only recently heard about the new rules through the media, just like many other entrepreneurs, it turns out during a tour of take-away catering establishments in Utrecht. A few remember a letter announcing the plans a few months ago. But most received such a letter ‘certainly not’.

‘Total Madness’

In a stand with Vietnamese snacks, with plastic containers of all shapes and sizes, Bon van Nguyen starts laughing when he is asked about the container surcharge. “Customers already walk away if I charge 15 cents for the sauce, even that should be free.”

Also in Bestaria Straatweg, a little further on, the owner sees no point in charging anything extra. He prefers not to have his name in the newspaper. He is looking for a sustainable solution. “But I will first use up my stock of plastic containers, I have just bought for a few months.” One customer has been bringing his own recyclable chip tray for a year now. He will fill it, “no problem”,

“Total madness,” says Atilla (38), who has just ordered mayo fries with onions and a cheese soufflé from him. “That surcharge is really not going to work. It would be better for the government to simply ban the use of plastic.” And bring your own bowl? “Certainly not. I feel like fries right now, so I don’t go home first to get my bowl.”

Rik Boor, owner of Burgerme Utrecht in the same street, sees no problems. “Of course we always factored in the price of the packaging. So we have not increased our prices, but we show on the receipt that we charge 10 cents for plasticized boxes, which contain, for example, chicken nuggets with sauce.” He packs products without sauce in cardboard. And customers can also bring their own container. He is still looking for a reusable alternative. “That should only be done on January 1, 2024, I thought?”

Tray for the Lego

Opposite, in Chinese restaurant Hing Kee, Steven Xia (21), son of the owner, understands the idea behind the new rules. “It is better for the environment. But they are not clear enough. Now everyone is doing their own thing.” Hing Kee charges 50 cents for orders under 50 euros, and 1 euro for orders above that amount, is stated on an A4 sheet that is pasted between the menus on the counter. Bringing your own trays won’t work, says Xia. “Especially not if someone has ordered by phone. Our orders consist of at least five or six trays.” One customer always brings his own pan, “for his duck”.

“Very good that this is happening,” says the colorfully dressed Mo van de Werf (60) from Westbroek. She has been a regular customer for years and waits at the cash register for her chap choi with shrimp, Chinese vegetables, beef with black bean sauce, and cha sieuw bami. “A euro surcharge for everything, that is nothing. I would have thought a euro per container was also fine.”

Van de Werf fantasizes about a future with standard containers throughout the Netherlands that you can hand in anywhere, just like PET bottles and cans are now. But those trays that are used now can also be put in the dishwasher, Nicolas Pastor (34) notes. He sits nearby at a table waiting for his order. “You can already reuse it, for example to freeze food. I keep my Lego in it. Everything sorted. I have more than a hundred of those trays at home.”