There’s a culture of embarrassment in the UK around taking home leftover food at the end of a meal. Recognising this, and with the reduction of good food going to waste from restaurants a key priority, Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) and the Scottish Government asked for our help to transform the culture around leftovers, specifically consumer and business attitudes to the ‘doggy bag’.
We created the vibrant ‘Good to Go’ brand and range of creative materials, which were used during an 8-week pilot scheme at 16 restaurants across Scotland.
More than 1400 ‘Good to Go’ hot-food containers were given out during the trial, and the doggy bag service was widely advertised on branded posters and table-toppers, and through trained restaurant staff talking to diners.
The trial was a huge success. Restaurant plate-waste fell by an average of 42%, and 92% of diners who took food home ate it. Staff from all of the participating restaurants reported excellent feedback from customers about the pilot. ZWS now offers free starter packs of 300 boxes, bags and promotional materials to cafes and restaurants in Scotland. It’s hoped the scheme can contribute to Scotland achieving its world-leading target of reducing food waste by 33% by 2025.