Everyone would love this nonprofit idea that would help clean the world
The Problem: restaurants, stores, and hotels give away a lot disposable stuff that ends up in landfills—napkins, plastic cutlery, shampoo, ketchup packets, plastic bags etc. They feel they can’t stop giving these things away out of fear they’ll look cheap.
The Solution: an independent nonprofit led by people who don’t support those industries that creates signs to put in each place suggesting customers use no more than they need.
The nonprofit being independent and staffed with people who don’t support the companies protect against them looking cheap. That is, if a bunch of fast food restaurants formed a coalition, you couldn’t distinguish them acting to protect the environment from acting in their self-interest. Their history of putting profit before health, workers rights, worker safety, the environment, animal safety, community, etc would lead people to conclude they were only acting in their self-interest.
If the nonprofit I’m suggesting opposed fast food, say, then in a “It takes a Nixon to open China” way, it could say something like, “We disapprove of fast food, but if you’re going to use it, at least use as little packaging and napkins you can. Consider bringing your own cutlery next time” without sounding self-serving.
Funding: The restaurants, stores, and hotels will still financially benefit, so might as well go to them for funding.
I’m not saying this nonprofit alone will solve our environmental problems, but it would reduce total waste and make a name for the founder. Its cost would be low, so could probably start and continue easily.
Anyone interested in starting it?
It would help prevent this:
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