Protocol for collecting used food containers

Note: we will not take any containers that have not been previously washed. You should be given a bin bag, a peg and several pairs of gloves before your shift.
1. Ask the food recipient to leave the empty and washed containers on the doorstep when they take their meals for today. The tubs should be left directly on the floor, with no bag.
2. Wait until they close the door.
3. Put a fresh pair of gloves on. If you have used gloves for placing the meal on the doorstep, you can keep that pair.
4. Remove the peg from the bin bag and open it.
5. Take the container/s with one hand while you hold the bin bag open with the other hand.
6. Introduce the container/s in the bin bag making sure that they do not touch the outside part of the bag.
7. Dispose the gloves.
8. Close the bin bag with the peg and leave it in the car, if possible not in direct contact with the meals to be delivered.

There are a couple of issues that we also need to decide.

  • How often do we want to do this? It was suggested on a weekly basis, and I think it makes sense.
  • How do we communicate to recipients? It would be really painful calling everyone on the list every week, so I’d say that maybe we establish a collection day so from now on everyone knows that on a particular day we’ll be taking containers.
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