Plastic-Free Meals, how to go about it?

 

In recent years, there’s a growing awareness of the alarming amount of plastic pollution that we produce. In 2019, to cut down on the amount of plastic waste, more than 270 food and beverage outlets in Singapore phased out their use of disposable plastic straws.

 

However, plastic straws are not the only culprit either. Think of the plastic forks, spoons, and plastic wrapping around our disposable wooden chopsticks. We throw away all these whenever we take away our food. Most of the time, you receive your food in plastic or Styrofoam containers too. Even for local delights like Hainanese chicken rice, or our beloved black carrot cake, they’re in a paper wrapping lined with plastic that can’t be reused. Not to mention all the takeaway iced coffee and tea we buy every day.

 

A survey led by students from the National University of Singapore found that we generated an extra 1,334 tonnes of plastic waste from our takeaway and delivery meals during the 2-month circuit breaker period. To put it in perspective, it was equivalent to the weight of 92 double-decker buses – probably more buses than a bus interchange can store! Though metal straws and portable cutlery sets are gaining popularity, it’s still not enough to offset all the waste we produce.

 

The next best solution then, especially if you’re buying meals for your family members, is to bring your containers from home. Simple, right? But then, you’ll need to make sure that you’re selecting the right-sized containers for the food you’re buying, because what if the hawker says she can’t fit your food in your box? That’s not considering how long you’ll have to queue for all the different stores because your spouse wants fish soup while your kid’s in the mood for wanton mee from that one store down the road. Not to mention having to carry all your family’s orders home while you sweat it out in the hot Singapore weather.

 

Of course, there's the option to call in food delivery – but it’s not always cheap, and you could be starving during lunchtime when there’s a delay in your order.

 

If you have mouths to feed at home every day, why not opt for tingkat catering instead? Tingkat services have been gaining popularity during the circuit-breaker period earlier this year as an affordable and convenient service to feed everyone staying at home. Tingkat is named after the metal tiffin carrier that the food comes in, which some tingkat delivery services like Le Xin Catering, Select Catering, and Kim’s Paradise offers to their patrons. It’s a great environmentally friendly option and you get to enjoy healthier meal options delivered right to your doorstep and on time too.

 

The best part about opting for tingkat in Singapore is that you don’t need to rack your brains to decide what to eat every day. You can check out the caterer’s tingkat menu at the beginning of every month to see if you wish to subscribe for that month. Caterers like Le Xin Catering also offer a tingkat trial for 5 or 10 days and they have highly customisable menus for your special dietary preferences too. Never worry again about the hawker mishearing your request for no chilli in your food! Every meal offered by Le Xin Catering also comes with a nutritious soup dish, so you can enjoy a hearty meal while skipping out on the coffee or tea for the day.

 

Instead of throwing away plastic containers by the dozen every week, save yourself the hassle and cater food to yourself and your family! Enjoy mealtimes at home using your cutlery, which you’ll be washing alongside the tiffin carriers that you’ll need for your next meal either way. Plus, rest easy knowing you don’t have to empty the trash bin for the third time that day!