Skip the Stuff: A Small Shift That Solves a Big Waste Problem
Billions of disposable takeout items are handed out every year—many never used, but still taking up natural resources to produce, costing money, and creating unnecessary waste. By moving from automatic distribution to “by request only,” Senate Bill 26-146 is a win for restaurants, a win for customers, and a win for the environment.
Open your kitchen drawer—the one stuffed with plastic forks, soy sauce packets, and stray napkins. You didn’t ask for them and didn’t need them—but throwing them away felt like a waste, so there they sit.
Now multiply that drawer by millions of households.
When you order takeout, the default is that utensils, straws, condiment packets, and napkins are automatically included, whether you need them or not. In the United States, restaurants distribute nearly 1 trillion single-use food service items every year, costing the industry an estimated $24 billion annually.
Meanwhile, a significant portion of those items go straight from the take-out bag to be stored in a drawer or thrown in the trash.
A new proposed bill, Senate Bill 26-146, would make single-use items available by request only, cutting costs, reducing trash, and giving customers more choice.
Ask your state senator to support this bill—it takes less than one minute!
A Simple Shift with Big Impact
Senate Bill 26-146 offers a straightforward solution: instead of automatically including single-use items with every order, restaurants would provide them only upon request.
Single-use items are resource-intensive from start to finish—requiring oil, gas, trees, water, and energy to produce and transport, only to be used for minutes (if at all). This common-sense policy tackles that waste at the source while delivering real benefits:
- For businesses: Lower supply costs and less wasted inventory—often saving hundreds to thousands of dollars annually
- For customers: Fewer unwanted items and more choice and control over what you receive
- For communities: Reduced litter and an estimated $1 billion in taxpayer savings on cleanup costs
- For the environment: Less waste, less pollution, fewer resources used, and cleaner recycling and composting systems
It also builds on policies already working in other states and Colorado communities—helping make “by request only” the new normal statewide.
Take Action in Under One Minute
If passed, SB26-146 would align everyday systems with common sense: If you need it, you can still get it. If you don’t, it won’t go to waste.
If you believe takeout shouldn’t come with a side of waste, take a moment to tell your state senator to support SB26-146!
Thank you for taking one small action that helps shift a much bigger system!
