Join the campaign to #SkipTheStuff

Every year, billions of unused straws, utensils, napkins, condiment packets, and other accessories are included in take-out and delivery orders and just thrown away. Together, we can change this.

In the U.S., 561 billion disposable food service items are used every year, resulting in 4.9 million tons of waste. Americans use more than 36 billion utensils and as much as 142 billion straws each year. Most restaurants provide these accessories for take-out meals even if the customer doesn’t want or need them.

Campaign toolkit

The solution is simple. Customers need to exercise their right to #SkipTheStuff. Restaurants should provide accessories for takeout or delivery only if the customer requests them. It’s a simple solution that will save restaurants money and reduce waste.
#SkipTheStuff is a national policy campaign organized through Upstream’s National Reuse Network (now known as the Reuse Solutions Network). The goal is to enact policies in local and state government that require restaurants to “ask first” before adding all the unnecessary stuff to your order. Together we can get city, county and state legislatures to take action and enact a policy that:
- Requires every restaurant to ask the customer first before providing accessories
- Requires meal delivery and online apps (like Uber Eats, GrubHub, Door Dash and Yelp) to post a menu of accessories (e.g. cutlery, napkins, straws, condiments, etc.) whereby a customer has to “opt-in” or select each item and quantity they want.
Check out the toolkits below to get started with a campaign in your area, and contact us with any questions or for further support. You may also want to consider joining the Reuse Solutions Network to connect with other campaigners around the country.