How the humble doggy bag reduced food waste in Scotland by 40 per cent

Research shows that most people like to be offered a doggy bag even though they are too ashamed to ask for one

Good to Go introduced specially branded doggy bags to a selection of restaurants in Scotland, and delivered staff training and promotional materials to actively encourage diners to take home their leftovers. (Zero Waste Scotland)

The Scottish Government is providing free doggy bags to hundreds of restaurants across Scotland to reduce food waste.

The Good to Go branded bags are being rolled out after a pilot scheme showed that offering customers doggy bags could reduce food waste from leftovers by 40 per cent per restaurant.

Nine out of ten restaurants that tried offering customers doggy bags in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Irvine and East Kilbride reported a reduction in food waste of around 40 per cent.

Only a fifth of the food waste reduction could be accounted for by the doggy bags, suggesting that other factors, such as better awareness of food waste, had contributed.

Further reductions were achieved by asking diners if they actually wanted side dishes and giving the options to change portion sizes and items.

Good to go from Zero Waste Scotland on Vimeo.

Research from Zero Waste Scotland, the Government-funded body behind the initiative, showed three-quarters of customers would like to be offered a doggy bag.

“Research carried out prior to the pilot showed that two fifths of people claim the main reason they hadn’t previously taken food home from a restaurant visit was that they were too embarrassed to ask," a spokesperson said.

Some restaurants said that offering customers a doggy bag actually improved sales as customers who weren't sure if they could manage bigger portions ordered them anyway and took them home.

More than one hundred restaurants signed up to the scheme after the successful pilot. Zero Waste Scotland now has plans to invite another hundred restaurants to take part.

Restaurants in France are legally obliged to provide doggy bags to customers in an effort to curb food waste. It forms part of an initiative launched by the French government in 2013, with the aim of reducing food wastage by 50 percent by the year 2025.

Authorities have a battle on their hands to change the perceptions of French customers and chefs alike. Research has shown that chefs find it degrading to see their meals scraped into a doggy bag, while customers think it is impolite to ask.

There have been attempts to change the name from doggy bag to gourmet bag to help change attitudes to the practice.

The Scottish Government is expanding the Good to Go scheme as part of plans to reduce food waste by 33 per cent by 2025.

“Good to Go helped to positively change consumer behaviour, and just as significantly that of restaurant owners, managers and staff," a spokesperson said.

The Evening Standard, the Independent's sister paper, has launched a campaign on food waste in London. Find out more here.