Recipe Unlimited removing plastic bags from its restaurants

In its continuing effort to reduce waste and improve its impact on the environment, Recipe Unlimited is announcing the removal of delivery and take-home plastic bags across its entire network of restaurants, including brands like Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, East Side Mario’s, Kelseys and Montana’s.

Last year, Recipe was one of the first companies in Canada to eliminate plastic straws from all of its restaurants.

“We have a full-court press on reducing waste wherever we can, as quickly as we can,” says Frank Hennessey, CEO, Recipe Unlimited Corporation. “That means looking at every aspect of how we run our restaurants, including single-use items; energy, water and gas consumption, and food waste. Today’s announcement is part of our ongoing commitment to make positive contributions to the environment and life in Canada.”

While some brands like East Side Mario’s, Harvey’s and Burger’s Priest are already using paper bags, Recipe will eliminate all plastic take-out bags from all of its branded restaurants by December 2019. In addition to the above changes with bags, styrofoam containers commonly used for take-home leftovers in restaurants, will also be eliminated by the end of this year.

Recipe is leveraging its size and scale to support a comprehensive overhaul of single-use plastics across every brand. This involves working with franchisees, employees, suppliers, waste partners, industry, government and even competitors. As Hennessey explains, “We believe we need to work with our industry to share information on how we can all improve. We can compete on a lot of things, but not on matters that are good for the environment. That we have to share.”