Why ask for a doggy bag?

There is something we have to overcome, even with ourselves, in fight against waste, the scandalous waste, of leftover food in restaurants. And it is a cultural prejudice, also the result of ignorance and poor civic sense, if not indifference, towards the doggy bagThe simplest and most effective tool to contain or avoid this scandal, deeply rooted in the long catalogue of food waste.

Why is it called a doggy bag?

How it works

Almost no restaurant customer consumes all the food they order. The rest promptly ends up wasted. The solution exists, and it's very simple: spread the word everywhere. doggy bag, as exists in many countries, from France to America via China.

In Italy this banal anti-waste tool, a small object of civilisation, has had to overcome the roller coaster of bureaucracy and readersThere were a series of disputes which then ended with a historic ruling by the Court of Cassation which, in 2014, sanctioned the restaurant customers' rights, of pizzerias and canteens, of take leftover food home.

Etiquette

We should all, absolutely all, be convinced of the usefulness of the doggy bag, the bag with which restaurants allow customers to take leftover food to the table at random. Food waste in restaurants is extremely high: exceeds 30 percent of meals orderedBut there is still too much shyness, modesty, and sometimes even shame, in the use of the doggy bag. Consider that 25 percent of Italians consider it "vulgar, rude and by poor people."

At the same time, restaurateurs should be given additional incentives by introducing a tax break for those who regularly use doggy bags. This would be a way to encourage all public establishments to use them. anti-waste tool.

On the other hand, anti-food waste campaigns have achieved at least one result regarding the doggy bag. It is considered an essential object in the vocabulary, and lifestyles, of people who truly show interest in food waste. sustainabilityIt's all the rage in the restaurants of top chefs, who recommend it (as in the case of Davide Oldani), it's often seen on TV during the cult cooking show, Masterchef, and it's one of the objects at the center of new versions in terms of design and materials from which it's made.

Doggy bag in America

It was Michelle Obama, in fact, uses the doggy bag very frequently, and has himself photographed while taking home the food he recovered from the restaurant. He also did this during a trip to Italy, when leaving a Roman trattoria he showed off his doggy bag with the leftovers of the carbonara he had ordered. Among other things, the doggy bag is an American invention, which was born in the cafes and restaurants of San Francisco, where the fight against food waste has always been deeply felt.

Doggy bag in France

In France, within the fight against food waste, a law has even been passed requiring restaurants with more than 180 seats to provide doggy bags. France, let us remember, is also the country that has done the most in the fight against food waste, going so far as to approve a readers that makes mandatory for supermarkets (with fines and even prison) donate still edible products and advanced to the circuit of the voluntary, for assistance to the poor. In Italy, where a campaign has also been launched by Change.org, only 20 percent of customers request it, even though, in theory, one in five says they're in favor of using it.

Doggy bag in Spain

A TV commercial that later went viral worked very well here. A well-known person, as he was leaving the restaurant, asked the waitress if he could have a doggy bag and take away the remaining food. And he was served.

Doggy bag in China

Requesting a doggy bag at the restaurant China (where up to half of the food ordered is wasted) has a specific name. It's called dabao which literally means "Make me a package". The gesture of asking to take home what is left over from what you ordered at a restaurant has become part of etiquette in China and is considered proper behavior. educated peopleBe careful to avoid the scandalous waste of food products.

Doggy bag in Italy

What to do with doggy bag food

Once you've recovered the food that would otherwise be wasted, thanks to the doggy bag, the question remains: what to do with it. There are two options. Reuse it in our own homes, for lunch or dinner. Second option: give it, and in this case just contact the parish closest to your home. We obviously we prefer this second solution.

Read also:

• DIY stock cubes: here's how to make them at home and avoid wasting vegetable scraps left in the fridge.
• Overripe Bananas: A Collection of Recipes to Avoid Waste
• Stale bread: lots of tasty recipes to avoid wasting it.
• Food waste: to combat it, incentivize those who produce less waste.

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