The issue of plastic waste has been in the news, from the authorities here saying that they will not impose a charge on disposable plastic bags, to global retailers making an effort to reduce plastic packaging that is clogging landfills and choking the seas (“Big brands pledge to turn tide on global plastic waste”; Oct 29).

Non-governmental organisations such as ZeroWasteSG and other pro-environment communities and individuals have also been actively advocating the need to reduce waste.

One common problem in Singapore is the extent of disposable plastic waste generated by consumers using the services of food catering companies.

It is a familiar sight: Disposable plastic utensils and plates from buffet set-ups at weddings and corporate or community events, conveniently thrown away in black trash bags.

In a bid to find out more about plastic wastage contributed by food caterers, I did some research.

Out of 10 companies here, only two provide clients the option of using reusable utensils at an extra cost of S$2 to S$3 a person.

The two caterers also mentioned that the take-up rate for this option is low, because the price is the deal-breaker for clients. Furthermore, most caterers provide biodegradable CornWare disposables as part of the buffet package, and customers are seemingly assured by their environment-friendly approach.

CornWare, a brand of disposable crockery and cutlery, is made of biodegradable compounds consisting of plastic and corn starch.

However, the perception seems to be that CornWare is plastic-free, so caterers and users have no qualms about excessively using them.

The company behind CornWare had said before that the product consists of a very small percentage of plastic. This means that it is not compostable, and it is likely that the plastic collated from CornWare disposables after biodegradation is still significant.

I suggest that consumers be more proactive in asking for reusable utensils from food caterers. This would then spur food catering companies to not only actively market their reusable utensils, but to provide cost-friendly choices.

When there is a demand for reusable crockery and utensils, companies will be incentivised to supply them.

The authorities should also give greater support to companies with green initiatives.

Together with other event organisers that frequently use plastic ware, food caterers generate a fair amount of plastic waste.

To permanently and effectively address this issue though, we should target the root cause, which is to transform the throw-away culture in Singapore.