Restaurants for Plastic Reduction

A Policy Advocacy Network

The Restaurants for Plastic Reduction Network is a project of the Coalition for Plastic Reduction (CPR). CPR is a coalition of environmental and public interest organizations, activists, and civic institutions committed to policy change that reduces plastic use in Illinois and builds a more sustainable future.

The Problem

Our plastic waste is killing our wildlife and polluting our environment. Single-use plastics like plasticware and foam to-go containers can account for up to 50% of all plastic waste each year. Many of these items end up in our environment, often in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. Our plastic waste doesn’t biodegrade, which means that virtually every piece of plastic that has ever escaped into the environment is still out there. Over time, these items can break down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics.

The Solution

Restaurants can play an important role in reducing plastic in our environment. To reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in our environment, we need to dramatically reduce the amount of disposable plastic products handed to consumers every day. Many of these items are unnecessary and easily replaceable. Restaurants can make an impact by reducing plastic in their own businesses, but can also be especially meaningful voices when advocating for legislation to reduce plastic. Examples of impactful plastics legislation include bans on the most harmful types of single-use plastic, like polystyrene foam, and requirements that single-use serviceware only be provided at the customers’ request.

Our Network 

We are working to build a network of restaurants to provide feedback and recommendations on plastic-reduction policy and advocate for plastic reduction legislation in Illinois. Our network provides opportunities for restaurants to:

• Learn more about plastic-reduction policy and provide feedback on it 
• Advocate for policy to legislators 
• Build visibility for restaurant-led plastic reduction in the media 
• Connect with experts providing information and resources for restaurants to transition away from plastics

Our Vision

Long term, we want to implement policy that encourages reuse over single-use. Short term, we want to eliminate the worst types of single-use plastic that are harming our environment and health every day we continue to use them. We recognize that restaurants must play an important role in shaping policy and aim to build collaborative working relationships to write and pass policy that benefits our environment while taking into account the needs of individual businesses.