6 Benefits of Bring Your Own Container
BYOC or the Bring Your Own Container movement started with the Eco Bag. Or the reusable bag. Or whatever you may call it.
Then, it was followed by the straw.
After that, your school lunch box became cool again.
Then, the tumbler went beyond your office coffee cup collectible.
Everyday, more and more people become more conscious on their disposable plastic use and consumption. ’Cause let’s face it. Climate change is real. More real than the perfect fit skinny jeans.
At most homes, though, the straws and the tumblers are not maximized in their use.
Why?
Why you don’t bring your own container?
- You forget to bring it out.
- It’s bulky.
- It makes you weird.
- You don’t want the chore of washing it after use.
I get it. Really. Sometimes, I have to fight the lazy bum in me, too. Chanting my personal mantra helps.
“I became vegan because of the environment. I will use reusables because of the environment.”
To fight that, I remind myself that there are benefits to BYOC (fancy for Bring Your Own Container/Cup).
Why should I always bring your own container?
1. It shows your style and personality.
The first reusable item that I have ever bought was a Stitch (Lilo & Stitch) Tsum Tsum collapsible bag from the Disney Store during Thanksgiving years ago. It was so cute. Imagine a small Tsum Tsum with a reusable bag as its stuffing instead of fibre. Then you open the belly zipper and the bag falls out. The Tsum Tsum is attached to one of the straps so that when you use a bag, you have Stitch sitting on your shoulder.
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Next thing I knew, I now have four Disney-themed reusable bags and I get a lot of compliments from them, too.
My first reusable food package was a green collapsible lunch box with a white cover that comes with its own collapsible cup and cutlery. I needed it for flights when I had to bring my own food and did not want the bulk of empty food containers in my cabin case once I’m done eating.
Then, as I became more eco-conscious…
I bring my own water bottle, too. (Alice in Wonderland. Yeap, still Disney-themed!) That was until I discovered that a friend of mine was selling collapsible tumblers. With the same reason that I had for buying the lunch box, I ordered one from him. Although, he told me that the only colour he had left was green. Oh well, matches the lunch box, I guess, so I bought it anyway.
As time went on, I expanded my reusables until I had reusables that I use inflight and on layovers and reusables that I carry around the Metro. This is in order for me to tackle issue number one of Bring Your Own Container (You forget to bring it out).
I also made a point to get green reusables or colours that will compliment it. Hooray for style!
2. Reusable containers are more durable than the typical take-out box.
I had this experience during one of my layovers.
So, I could not finish my burrito from Moe’s and decided to have it for to go. Hooray that they use paper bags and not plastic. I placed the paper bag into my Eco bag and went on my merry way.
An hour of exploring later, I was supposed to rummage my bag for my tumbler but, instead, I felt something wet. Lo and behold, the sauce of the burrito leaked through the paper bag, making a large hole and spilling everything all over my Eco bag! My umbrella got the most damage as the canopy smelled like a Mexican kitchen! Luckily, the sauce did not reach my jacket.
If only I placed the burrito in my lunch box which was in the bag that time and not leave it in the paper bag then I would not have such a catastrophe. I could have just washed my lunch box than have my bag and the stuff inside laundered and dried. Instead of avoiding issue number four (washing up chore), I actually made it worse.
Lesson learned there. Skip the bag, whether paper or plastic, and just stuff the food in my lunch box.
3. Bring Your Own Container is rewardingly cheaper.
Most grocery stores do their part in decreasing their plastic consumption by charging more for a plastic bag, forcing and reminding customers to bring their own bag for next time.
Restaurants are doing their part as well by charging more when you go on take out for using a take-out box. Then again, the take-out boxes tend to be microwaveable and reusable so, I guess, that’s okay. But, imagine eventually having a stack of microwaveable containers at home. Not knowing what to do about it, it either gets donated (hooray!) or thrown away (oh no!). Talk about bulky!
Remember grocery shopping and things like zip up bags or cling wrap or plastic cutlery never leaves your list? Would it not be cheaper in the long run to just buy a reusable replacement and scratch off those items on that list forever?
My favourite vegan restaurant in the Philippines charges an additional P20 for a take-out box that costs P6.00 at the wet market. Yeah, its reusable and microwaveable but, for a working girl like me, P20.00 is a lot!
See my point?
4. Retailers will love you!
Like I said, the world is getting more conscious. Your favourite shop is, too.
As a member of the customer service industry, I find it extremely adorable when my passengers do simple things like reusing the plastic glass that I gave for their first drink for their refill or even their second drink. When they hand out their tumbler and ask for it to be filled with water, I fill it to the brim as much as I can even if they say that halfway full is okay. I even went away and made friends with a passenger that placed her leftovers in a reusable beeswax wrap!
As a customer, the shops that I go to already remember me. I’m the girl that does not use plastic. I’m the girl that brings her own container. So, unconsciously, they also remember my food choices and preferences. Don’t you find it so cool to step in a store and say that you’re having the usual and for the cashier to know what you are actually talking about? Not weird to BYOC but actually cool!
Also, as employees, we like less movement as possible, so you having your own take-out container makes us love you ’cause we do not have to get your food, run to storage to grab a container, wrap your food up, and go to the cashier to charge you for that box (and the effort that we did). Thus, it is another way for us to remember you and be nicer and more generous to you when you come back.
5. You get more than what you paid for.
I can really attest to this.
I recently bought ice cream from an artisan shop that caters to vegans and omnis. Cones are my preferred choice (edible food packaging, thus, zero waste) but the shop ran out so they had cups, instead. Because of that, I requested that they place the ice cream in my tumbler. Considering I even told them that they did not have to fill it up since my tumbler holds a maximum of 12 oz and the serving that I am paying for is not that!
My tumbler came back overflowing with ice cream!
So, here’s a simple calculation.
The average ice cream scoop is 5 oz. I bought 2 scoops. My tumbler came back overflowing so there is an approximate excess of 3 oz to my tumbler’s 12 oz maximum capacity.
5 oz * 2 scoops = 10 oz (what I paid for)
12 oz + 3 oz = 15 oz (what I actually got)
So, I actually got a free scoop! This is just because I bring my own container!
I use my lunchbox whenever I would buy from those build-your-own shops. Whether it be salad or pokè or a buddha bowl, general customer service dictates that they fill the bowl to the brim. Imagine not being constricted by their take-out bowls and use your bigger lunch box, instead? Value for money, people!
A lot of consumers (haven’t tried it myself) made testimonies that when you go to a coffee shop, use your 16 oz cup and order a 12 oz item, you get the serving upgrade for free. The same thing goes for the 16 oz to 20 oz. Imagine going to Starbucks and getting a Venti for the price of a Grande for free for only using your own cup. Again, it is because of the general customer service psychology that you have to fill up the container to be used for the service.
6. Bring Your Own Container is eco-friendly.
This one does not need any more explanation.
Bringing and using reusable containers means no disposables.
No disposables mean less plastic.
Less plastic means less garbage.
Decreasing garbage means less problem for disposal.
Lessening problems for disposal means less and efficient land use.
Efficient land use means more space for life.
More space for life means improved life.
Improved life means more hope.
More hope means a brighter future.
And who does not want that?
In conclusion…
I do hope this motivates us to always Bring Your Own Container. Yes, us. Me, too. ’Cause we all need reminding and we all need motivation.
And, honestly, we all need to take a part in environmental conservation. We have to make Greta Thunberg proud. I don’t want to be part of the generation that puts the last nail on Mother Earth’s coffin. Do you?
How about you guys? Do you bring your own container? What other benefits have you experienced ever since using it?
