When John Shin launched the now two-unit fast-casual concept Prawn in Los Angeles three years ago, he looked for disposable foodware that was compostable. “Being in the food industry for so long and seeing the massive amounts of waste, I just wanted to make sure what we’re doing is sustainable,” he said. There have been challenges. To-go container lids tended to melt over the concept’s hot broth-based dishes, for example. Shin has seen guests throwing their compostable bowl into the recycling bins, which is a no no. In fact, Shin said he wasn’t sure how his compostable waste was handled at the food hall where the first Prawn debuted. Shin and other restaurant operators say they are trying to do the right thing. But they are increasingly frustrated by the lack of infrastructure available that would allow them to deal with waste responsibly. “It’s a travesty,” said Shin. “They basically created a product that the city and state hasn’t created an infrastructure for yet. If we’re going to fix this, regulation is needed. But there needs to be rules in place about how these materials are processed.” In fact, regulation is coming. Fueled by reports of Texas-sized islands of plastic garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean, dead whales, with bellies full of shopping bags, and a video od a sea turtle with a straw stuck up its nose, consumers and lawmakers are increasingly saying “no” to single-use plastic. Environmental groups for years have painted a grim picture of a world increasingly littered with discarded plastic. Scientists are also raising concerns about the tiny fragments of broken-down microplastic, which have become omnipresent in soil and marine life. Beach cleanup efforts by various groups have revealed that much of that waste is a product of the foodservice industry: straws, stirrers, cups and their lids, plastic bags and cutlery. As a result, lawmakers are taking action. Last year, legislation restricting restaurants from offering plastic straws began cropping up across the country, joining the growing number of states and municipalities regulating the use of plastic bags and polystyrene. More recent proposals go even further. Laws restricting restaurant use of plastic cutlery and other disposables have been enacted in California; New York; San Francisco, Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Berkeley, Calif.; Malibu, Calif.; and Boulder, Colo., and the bills keep coming. In Hawaii, for example, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit the sale, use or distribution of plastic beverage bottles, utensils, stirrer sticks and polystyrene foam containers. Maryland state lawmakers have adopted a statewide ban on polystyrene containers and cups, which awaits the governor’s signature. – Source: Restaurant Hospitality.