In our modern world, single-use plastics have become an integral part of our daily lives. From plastic bags and food packaging to disposable cutlery and water bottles, these convenience items have infiltrated every aspect of our society. However, as we march further into the 21st century, the detrimental impacts of single-use plastics on our environment have become undeniable. It is now more important than ever to confront the harsh reality and understand the urgency of eliminating the use of single-use plastics.
“It’s one of those things that you can do in your kitchen, whether that’s professionally or at home, that starts to create this awareness of sustainability and buying things of permanence that are going to last a lot longer and not this kind of in and out philosophy we’re in where everything’s convenience,” said Chef Rob Rubba, owner of Oyster Oyster in Washington D.C.
When Rubba started to conceptualize Oyster Oyster, he imagined a restaurant where single use plastics didn’t exist.
“Working in kitchens for so long as I have, I’ve used plastic wrap and disposable cheap deli containers that break constantly, and just thinking about just what my impact as an individual has been, and then think how vast and massive the restaurant industry is, it’s kind of like I had no other choice when I was thinking about sustainability, it was only made sense to use durable containers that were going to last a test of time,” said Rubba.
While Rubba set out to eliminate the majority of the plastic he’d used in the past, he made one exception: Cambro.
“There’s glass containers, there’s a lot of metal containers out there, too, but they’re just clumsy and dangerous,” said Rubba. “I think having clear containers is lovely. Being able to go in and visually see things right away and the colors and the walk in is really nice, and just having such a range of different sizes.”
“As restaurants from a cleanliness and a hygiene perspective, too, you still have to use some plastic items, but being durable and being something that's built to last is more important than just something that's cheap and quick.”
Rubba was able to eliminate two huge contributors of plastic waste from his kitchen: Plastic wrap and deli containers.
Plastic Wrap
Rubba’s solution to ending plastic wrap’s reign of terror was very simple.
“I always laugh about it and I just say there’s this wonderful thing called lids and it eliminates a lot of the things,” said Rubba. 
“By simply using lids on his Cambro containers instead of plastic wrap, Rubba was able to stop wasting money and a crazy amount of waste. Plus, he was able to utilize his kitchen space more efficiently.
“The ability to stack things is lovely. When you have mostly things you wrap with plastic wrap, they are somewhat fragile and you can’t really put things on top of that. So, if it’s in a container with a lid, I think you’re in a better place for storage,” said Rubba. “You can kind of play this Tetris game and keep your walk-in very organized is very nice as well.”
One concern Rubba did have was how he was going to proof bread without the use of plastic wrap. Many of the recipes they looked at suggested they “wrap this in plastic overnight” but Rubba was able to find another way.
“We just use a larger 22 qt. [Cambro container] to proof our bread in and that way we have plenty of room for the expansion of the bread. We can put a lid on top and we don’t have to worry about it drying out or anything,” said Rubba.
Deli Containers
At first, Rubba couldn’t find anything to replace his deli containers, even high quality deli containers weren’t providing the integrity he was looking for.
“You can look at the price of a deli [container] and say, ‘wow, that’s so much cheaper,’ but then if you add up how many times they break, how many times you have to throw them away…you’re spending a lot and it’s a headache when you have to put something in a container and it’s also leaking from the bottom because it’s just this plastic container that’s not supposed to go through the dishwasher 20 times,” said Rubba.
Enter, CamSquare FreshPro Mini.
“We’ve been buying a very high quality deli container that is like three times the price, but still doesn’t have the integrity we would like. We’ve played with 1/9 pans and stuff, but then I heard about the [Cambro Translucent] Minis. Once we heard about that, I think that’s the final nail in the coffin for us with this expansion,” said Rubba.
In addition to eliminating single use plastic from his restaurant, Rubba provides a sustainable treat for his customers at the end of the night.
“At the end of the meal to really set the tone, we finally present the menu…and that menu is made from recycled paper that is embedded with wildflower seeds, so they can plant their menu,” said Rubba.
To learn more about how you can increase the sustainability at your foodservice operation, contact your local Cambro sales rep.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ADRIANA DESIDERIO IS THE DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER AT CAMBRO.
