Refuse Tax

There has been discussion lately in some of the American states about putting a tax on fast food containers. The massive litter created by fast food containers has caused such a costly mess that a tax has been suggested as a way of making the user pay for roadside and street clean up.

From the amount of litter that will appear when the snow finally disappears (it might be late April this year) you would think that everyone who bought a Tim’s threw the empty cup at the side of the road. While the Tim cups may out-number the McCups, none of the fast-food outlets is immune to this littering of their containers. Thankfully, not everyone who eats fast food is so inconsiderate of the environment and appearance of our once pristine countryside.

The cardboard cups and boxes will eventually dissolve into a pulpy mass, and except for the inks, dyes, fungicides and binding chemicals in the container, the remains will be readily absorbed back into nature. The poly cups and containers are another story as it will take some determined microbes to assist the sunshine in breaking down the complex molecules that once united to hold a coffee or a big Mac. Fortunately, most of the people who throw this disgusting litter out of the car window do eat the contents first, thus giving nature a small helping hand with the former contents of the Styrofoam containers. Thank heavens for seagulls and crows who work valiantly to help us keep the streets and roads clean of fast food remnants.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I doubt any small tax will deter the fast food addict who uses these containers. A heavier tax will never be acceptable because it will drive some of these FF outlets out of business. Frankly, the people who do this littering probably have no concept of taxation in the first place. Certainly they have no sense of social responsibility.

One obvious solution is to require everyone who wants take-away food to bring their own durable container to the fast-food outlet. Imagine driving up to a Tim’s and holding your favourite plastic cup under the double-double coffee tit, dropping in the needed coins and driving off with a nice hot cuppa! Or imagine taking your favourite monogrammed hamburger holder into McD’s. There the clown slaps in a warm, soft bun that surrounds the mystery meat on top of the pseudo fries, and squirting on your Dijon mustard from the handy pump and tossing in a handful of wipes, you are merrily on your way. I have not figured out the pizza container yet, but I will work on that one.

Putting a tax on the containers will do nothing to stop the littering, but giving a discount for using your own environmentally-friendly container might be a good first step. I wonder which progressive company will start this new trend. Maybe the same ones who first banned the smoking inside their shops? Perhaps instead of rolling-up-rim they could follow the lead of that other great merchandiser and roll back the prices – if you bring your own container for a refill.