1.Choose a fast-food restaurant to study. Arrange to spend 1 hour at the restaurant with 2 to 4 of your classmates to gather data.
McDonalds
2. Throughout this study, be as quiet and as unobtrusive as possible, and avoid aggravating the restaurant management or customers.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH NOISE
3. At the restaurant, observe how food is packaged as it is served. Make notes about the type of packaging used, paying particular attention to the following questions:
a. What are the packages made from?
b. How many layers of packaging are used for each food item?
c. Do servers provide utensils, condiments, and napkins, or do customers help themselves? How are the condiments packaged?
4. Choose a centrally located trash container and observe it for 30 minutes. Count the number of people who deposit trash in the container in that time. Makes notes about how frequently you see items other than empty packaging (food waste, unused napkins, condiment packages,etc.) go into the trash container.
In 30 minutes I saw 4 people who threw away their trash. Most of them had unused ketchup and napkins.
5. Estimate the total number of customers per day as follows:
Take the number of people who visited your trashcan in 30 minutes. Multiply this
number by 2, and then multiply it by the number of hours per day the restaurant is open.
4 x 2 x 12 = 96 customers per day
Multiply this result by the number of trashcans per restaurant.
96 x 4 = 384
Finally, assume that each person deposited trash for an average of 2 customers, and multiply by 2 to obtain the total to obtain the total number of customers per day
384 x 2 x 2 = 1536 per day
6. Estimate what waste items--cups, straws, tray lines, etc.--are thrown away, by the average customer. Based on this estimate, how many of each item would be thrown away each day?
2 cup, 2 straw, 1 tray line, 5 condiments, 8 napkins.
18 x 1536 = 27648 thrown each day
7. Are separate recycling containers provided for the customers? If so, do signs on the container make it clear which waste items are supposed to go into the recycling containers and which go to the trash?
No, there is no recycling containers provided.
8. Summarize your findings. Create a table that shows your statistical data and include a description of the types and amount of waste generated at the restaurant you visited. Based on your findings, suggest ways in which the amount of trash could be reduced. Be sure to include the following:
Conclusion:
There was lots of unused condiments and napkins that were thrown away. We need to find a way to reduce the trash level by making a rule in these fast food places to leave the unused items back where they came from or no food for you. This will help decrease trash level. I went alone to McDonalds last Wednesday 2/19/14. You can have the cashiers make sure that the customers use all the resources given to them by giving them a small amount. Ways to reduce disposable items with reusable ones is to use ceramic plates. The plates could be reused for at least a month or so. Waste items that could be recycled are plastic cups and paper plates. They can be recycled to make more paper plates and plastic cups. If this is possible, there would be less production of these items. Ways to replace non-compostable items are to use ceramic plates or plates and glass cups that can be washed and reused.
McDonalds
2. Throughout this study, be as quiet and as unobtrusive as possible, and avoid aggravating the restaurant management or customers.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH NOISE
3. At the restaurant, observe how food is packaged as it is served. Make notes about the type of packaging used, paying particular attention to the following questions:
a. What are the packages made from?
b. How many layers of packaging are used for each food item?
c. Do servers provide utensils, condiments, and napkins, or do customers help themselves? How are the condiments packaged?
- The packages were made from lots of plastic and wraps of foil
- I believe there were 2 layers for each food items
- Servers provide the utensils, condiments and napkins. The condiments are placed in the plastic bag.
4. Choose a centrally located trash container and observe it for 30 minutes. Count the number of people who deposit trash in the container in that time. Makes notes about how frequently you see items other than empty packaging (food waste, unused napkins, condiment packages,etc.) go into the trash container.
In 30 minutes I saw 4 people who threw away their trash. Most of them had unused ketchup and napkins.
5. Estimate the total number of customers per day as follows:
Take the number of people who visited your trashcan in 30 minutes. Multiply this
number by 2, and then multiply it by the number of hours per day the restaurant is open.
4 x 2 x 12 = 96 customers per day
Multiply this result by the number of trashcans per restaurant.
96 x 4 = 384
Finally, assume that each person deposited trash for an average of 2 customers, and multiply by 2 to obtain the total to obtain the total number of customers per day
384 x 2 x 2 = 1536 per day
6. Estimate what waste items--cups, straws, tray lines, etc.--are thrown away, by the average customer. Based on this estimate, how many of each item would be thrown away each day?
2 cup, 2 straw, 1 tray line, 5 condiments, 8 napkins.
18 x 1536 = 27648 thrown each day
7. Are separate recycling containers provided for the customers? If so, do signs on the container make it clear which waste items are supposed to go into the recycling containers and which go to the trash?
No, there is no recycling containers provided.
8. Summarize your findings. Create a table that shows your statistical data and include a description of the types and amount of waste generated at the restaurant you visited. Based on your findings, suggest ways in which the amount of trash could be reduced. Be sure to include the following:
Conclusion:
- Ways to avoid producing certain types of waste altogether
- Ways to replace disposable items with reusable ones
- Discussion of what waste items could be recycled or composted
- Ways to replace non-recyclable, non-compostable items that can be recycled or composted
- Fast-food restaurant, date and time of your visit along with your classmates.
There was lots of unused condiments and napkins that were thrown away. We need to find a way to reduce the trash level by making a rule in these fast food places to leave the unused items back where they came from or no food for you. This will help decrease trash level. I went alone to McDonalds last Wednesday 2/19/14. You can have the cashiers make sure that the customers use all the resources given to them by giving them a small amount. Ways to reduce disposable items with reusable ones is to use ceramic plates. The plates could be reused for at least a month or so. Waste items that could be recycled are plastic cups and paper plates. They can be recycled to make more paper plates and plastic cups. If this is possible, there would be less production of these items. Ways to replace non-compostable items are to use ceramic plates or plates and glass cups that can be washed and reused.