When you talk to your staff, cover the applicable sections:

Why allow BYO containers?
Save money, cater to customers’ requests, reduce plastic trash, or all of the above!

Safety and Legality

• California law AB-619 allowing reusable containers
• Answers to the common questions about safety of reusables (courtesy of Upstream)

Filling BYO cups and thermoses with beverages
You may decide to set up a designated area to handle BYO orders (but it’s not necessary). To fill orders, choose one of the following methods:

1. After the customer hands the staff member a cup or thermos, the staff member fills the container with a beverage.
2. The customer places a cup or thermos on a tray, the staff member fills the cup or thermos without coming into contact with it and the customer removes the drink from the tray. 

Takeout orders in BYO containers
Set up a designated area to handle BYO containers. Typically, restaurants that allow BYO will fill orders in one of the following ways:

1. Fill the customer’s containers directly.
2. Slide a tray to the customer which contains their plated order and utensils. The customer then transfers the food to their containers. Using this method, the employees do not touch the customer’s takeout containers. 

Zero out scales
Develop step-by-step instructions for filling reusable (BYO) containers. Typically, stores that charge by weight follow one of two methods:

1. Staff places a customer’s container on scale. Staff tares/sets the scale to zero. Staff fills the container with the customer’s order and prints a sticker with weight and price.
2. Staff places a sheet of parchment or plastic on the scale. Staff places the order on top of sheet, picks it up and places the sheet with food in the container. This practice uses less material than typical deli counter service and packaging.

Tare jars
Develop step-by-step instructions for marking the tares (the weights) on jars and deducting that tare from the weight of the jar plus its contents. This way the customer pays only for the contents of the jar. Print these instructions and post them at each cash register and, if you have one, at the customer service counter.

Want to allow BYO / reusable containers at your business? Join today!
Request a BYO sticker to display at your door to let customers know you allow them to bring their own containers when they order or shop. We’ll add you to our list of participating businesses on our website and promote your waste-reduction efforts on our social media platforms. 

You and your staff can make a difference! We need all hands on deck to make the Sacramento region plastic-free!

Please let us know if you have stipulations you’d like us to add to our website like, 'BYO allowed for drinks only', 'No phone orders for BYO', 'contactless fulfillment only' and so on. Email us for any questions or to request we add your business to our site -- this is a free program to support waste reduction. Check back to see which businesses have already joined.

1. Single-use trash comprises much of the street litter, and often ends up in the water supply and our environment.
2. We need stronger policies to stop this.
3. Grassroots efforts and citizens demanding change will bring about those policies faster. All approaches are necessary and welcome. We appreciate your advocacy!

These guidelines above are adapted from Silicon Valley Reduces.
 

More Resources

• Reusable LA
• BYO Singapore Resource List
• Berkeley Single Use Foodware Ordinance