Designed to tackle plate waste, the initiative aims to change consumers’s attitudes towards leftovers and also save businesses money – with one in six meals served by restaurants currently thrown away, costing the Scottish hospitality industry £64 million a year.
Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, said: “The Scottish government has set an ambitious target to cut food waste by 33% by 2025 and it’s very encouraging to see schemes like ‘Good to Go’ making such an impact.
“The dramatic rise in participating Scottish businesses is testament to a changing narrative around food waste. With so many restaurants now taking part, we encourage Scots to do their bit and ask for a doggy bag when dining out.”
Encouraging consumers to get involved, each box features Food Standards Scotland-approved guidance on reheating and eating leftovers at home, and follows recent research revealing that two fifths of Scots are currently “too embarrassed to ask for a doggy bag – but three quarters would welcome the option of taking one home.”
Chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, Iain Gulland, added: “Good to Go has demonstrated the tremendous appetite for doggy bags – not just from consumers but from hospitality businesses who have found, through our hugely successful trials, that it enhances their customer service and helps them monitor and deal with food waste.
“It’s good for the bottom line, and great for the environment, as tackling unnecessary food waste is one of the most important things we can do to tackle climate change.
“I’m delighted that well-known Scottish restaurants (such as The Scottish Café) are seeing the benefits of the scheme and hope to see many more taking part in future.”
Suzanne O’Connor, executive chef of the Contini Group (catering and restaurant company) explained: “As a family-run, independent restaurant group we take a huge amount of care and pride in our approach to local sourcing and sustainability.
“’Good to Go’ really aligns with this ethos and has been a great success. Our customers are delighted to take home their leftovers – everything from a scone to smoked salmon – and really understand the value of preventing such wonderful ingredients from going to waste.
“We initially piloted the scheme in the Scottish Café & Restaurant at the Scottish National Gallery and, due to customer demand, are now rolling ‘Good to Go’ out in our other restaurants, including our family Italian, Contini George Street.”