BENGALURU: At Eat Raja in Malleswaram, BYOB is a commonly used phrase. Except here, the staff and regular customers know that it means ‘Bring Your Own Bottle’. And those who comply, are given a five per cent discount. All these measures are to ensure that our city, which is facing a water and garbage crisis, is able to use sustainable options.
“Earlier we collected beer and breezer bottles, and used the stem of the banana plant to prevent the drink from spilling when parcelled,” says Anand Raj, owner of Eat Raja as he serves juice in watermelon shells without a straw. “In case, someone asks them, we have steel straws. We have adopted an adopted zero-waste method and are trying to promote sustainable practices. While segregating waste, we put the citrus waste in one bin and the fruit waste in another. We make bio-enzymes out of the citrus waste, which are not only used to clean the steel straws but also manufacture floor cleaners, PET washes and detergents,” adds Raj.
In south Bengaluru, Millet mama only uses steel cutlery to serve dine-in customers. On the other hand, when meals are parcelled, Abhishek Beeraiah says they are delivered in sugar bagasse boxes made from the residue of sugarcane. “We are working on converting the waste produced in our restaurant into biogas, which can be used in the kitchen. We will start doing this in a month’s time,” added Beeraiah.
Popular ice cream joint Corner House has also adopted sugar bagasse cups as an alternative to plastic. “It has been a week since the parlour started using this alternative. Price-wise it works out the same,” Narayan Rao, Managing Director of Corner House, says
For eg, plastic cups cost Rs 1 and 60 paisa whereas bagasse costs about Rs 1 and 50 paise. But for of 500 ml cups, plastic costs about Rs 4 and bagasse cups cost about Rs 5 and 10 paisa. “With the water shortage in the city, it is not possible for us to buy crockery and wash them. Bagasse works out as a better option. However, we are figuring out methods for delivery packaging,” he says.