Circular Success Story How Philly Restaurants Won the Right to Reuse

Learn how a circular economy advocacy group, a zero-waste design firm, and a local restaurant teamed up to convince the City of Philadelphia that takeout customers deserve an alternative to single-use to-go containers. 

At the height of the pandemic, many people were ordering takeout to support their favorite local restaurants, but to-go containers were stacking up. Tiffin Indian Restaurants in Philadelphia experienced tremendous growth during the take-out boom, but the owners (and their customers) were concerned about the mounting environmental impact of single-use plastic. Circular Philadelphia, a group that advocates for reusing materials, sharing resources, and reducing waste, knew there had to be a better way. They investigated options and found a local group ECHO Systems offering reusable, trackable to-go containers. However, they also learned that Philadelphia Department of Health food safety and sanitation regulations prohibited restaurants from making the switch to a more sustainable option. 

Find out how these groups worked together to change minds—and policy—in just a few short months!

Speakers

• Nicolas Esposito, Circular Philadelphia
• Alisa Shargorodsky, ECHO Systems
• Marianne Kelly, Tiffin Indian Restaurants
• Dr. Palak Raval Nelson, Philadelphia Department of Health

Notes

• Online registration closes one hour prior to the event.
• Recordings will be provided to registrants within one to two weeks of the live event.
• Questions? Contact events@pasafarming.org.

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