Reduce, refill, rethink: cutting plastic use in the bar

The hospitality industry is no stranger to single-use plastic; it’s just so convenient and cheap. But the world is waking up to the dangers of plastics, from health issues to pollution.

The Plastic Free Foundation, based in Australia, initiated Plastic Free July in 2011 to reduce plastic waste; last year in 2024 their compaign involved 174 million participants globally.

To take part in Plastic Free July, The Cocktail Balance gathered ideas, tips, and words of encouragement from bartenders and others who are already reducing plastics in bars and kitchens to help get you started.

Starting with suppliers

You order ingredients for the bar, and the delivery truck brings them wrapped in layers of cling film, carried in plastic bags, probably pre-packaged in plastic already. Yikes.

Hyacinthe Lescoët, founder of the first B corp certified bar The Cambridge Public House in Paris, recommends starting with buying in bulk. “If you contact a supplier right away, there will be a way to order in bigger quantities, which will be delivered in a different format. For example, we used to order 480g of hibiscus, which was stored in plastic. We found another solution with our supplier to find organic hibiscus delivered in 5kg boxes with no single-use plastic. Communication with suppliers is really important.”

Máté Szabó, founder of Elysian bar in Budapest, is passionate about local produce and products. “We don’t just support local—we live it. Every ingredient we use is sourced from nearby producers we actually know by name. We’ve built direct relationships with our farmers and foragers, and even our logistics are dialed in to avoid excess packaging. No plastic crates, no cling wrap—just real produce, delivered fresh and unpackaged. That’s not a marketing claim—it’s our everyday practice.”

For Vojtech Végh, a chef who teaches zero-waste methods (read our interview with him here), you have to be willing to say no. “Speak to your suppliers and don’t accept anything that comes in plastic. Find an alternative product or make it yourself. You will need to be ruthless about this one,” he says.

Plastic in prep

Culinary-wise, the widespread use of sous-vide has eased prep for consistent results, sped up processes like infusions, and reduced stress and multi-tasking (no worrying a pot will burn the moment you turn to chop something else ). Normally, however, ingredients are put in single-use plastic bags.

There are sous-vide alternatives, though each has their limitations. Canning jars, made to withstand hot temperatures anyway, can hold liquids in sous-vide, even liquids that solidfy, like puddings. Silicone bags are reusable, though they still shed micro-plastics, can absorb smells and don’t form around solid shapes.

Oscar Jonsson Buhre of Lucy’s Flower Shop in Stockholm has started to sous-vide in an alternative way. “Of course we, like most bars, use sous vide bags, they’re almost a necessity for most bars. But we’ve started to put a lot more of our drinks in plastic canisters for storage. Also, we use the steam oven as a sous vide for larger batches. So instead of putting it in a plastic bag you can just put a lid on a pan and put it in the oven.”

Hyacinthe is taking it a step farther. “We’ve been working with a company on some compostable sous vide bags. There are some limitations: you cannot cook over 80°C and it will break easily if too full or too manipulated (during travels for instance). However, they are working on it and we believe it will be soon a solid and great tool for bars to reduce their plastic waste.”

Vacuum seal bags are practical not only for sous-vide but also drink storage in general. Máté shares the disadvantage of reusable containers: “We’re phasing out vacuum-sealed plastics wherever we can, swapping in reusable boxes, jars, and containers that don’t vanish into landfills after a single use. Do we still experiment? Sure. Are we figuring it out as we go? Absolutely. Do we have enough space to do this? Definitely not! But each batch is a little smarter than the last.”

Another source of plastic in the prep room is cling film, one of Vojtech’s pet peeves. “Cling film is a totally unnecessary product. The market is full of alternatives already,” he says.

What kind of alternative is his favourite? “Lids on every container. If the cooking process requires cling film then I eliminate that cooking process. Fruit/veg that is cut open can be kept in a large clear container with a lid on in the fridge. Buying lids is a no-brainer in terms of investment, as you only buy them once vs cling film rolls on a monthly order. The reality is that most chefs/kitchens aren't organized enough to keep lids in their kitchens, yet it's also faster to cover a gastrotray with a lid than fiddle with cling film.” Sometimes green alterntives are simple - no fancy new innovations required.

Smarter Service

What a guest expects at your establishment is, of course, highly dependant on the type of bar. A high-end bar will have different limitations and possibilities than, for example, a picnic pop-up.

Mely Finn, a forager and wild drinks maker in Canada, often teaches others to make wild drinks in the great outdoors. For an informal vibe, “switching to mason jars instead of deli cups, using creative non-plastic garnish trays or beautiful stainless ones, using reusable straws for tasting straws in service and for guest straws try the usual: pasta, potato starch, or the dreaded paper.” She recommends the potato starch straws, which hold their structure well.

Hyacinthe questions what we think is needed in a bar. “Straws, stirrer, coasters: are they necessary? Could they be given on demands or only on special occasions? Sometimes it’s the way you do service that can be changed to reduce plastic.”

While Máté agrees about the straws, Elysian embraces character with permanence. “We skip straws by default, not because we hate fun—but because we know most “biodegradable” ones only break down under industrial conditions (and who has a composting factory in their backyard?). Most of the time, lips-to-glass is the new normal.

And forget the soggy paper circles and throwaway plastic disks. Our wooden coasters are built to last and patina like a well-loved bar top. Sometimes they’re mismatched. Sometimes they’re stained. (Vinegar does wonders) But hey—that’s character, not clutter.”

After hours

The guests have left a table, or the bar, and it’s time to clean up. Máté and Hyacinthe order concentrated cleaners and refill spray bottles. Hyacinthe shares, “Find an organic supplier that can provide raw products undiluted. Our company is called Bioveba, they deliver a strong product where we can add water ourselves, adding 90% water. One 5L container of these products (that is reusable) is then 50L of final product, reducing so much plastic.”

Hyacinthe also suggests finding some one or business that can use the plastic you do end up with. “Give your plastic away: maybe in your market, there are companies recycling plastics for different purposes. Look around you to try to find someone in your community that have a use for used plastics. It could be the start of a great collaboration or story.”

Recycling regulations

Beyond the control of a single bar are the regulations of a particular country regarding waste and recycling. This can affect not only what you do with your own plastic but also how the companies you work with use — or don’t use — plastic.

Oscar shares that at Lucy’s Flower Shop, “We have very little one time use plastics in the bar. I’d almost say pretty much none. The plastic that we do get is from the tops of bottles or any other packaging. In Sweden by law we have to recycle. We separate glass and then we have a service that separates all other waste for us and recycles it.

If you can make sure your plastic does not end up in a landfill and recycled instead, that is the most important. Then one-time use plastic becomes multi-use without you having to change much. Recycling is something we are very blessed with in Sweden. The trash that cannot be recycled is burnt and used for energy, we even buy trash from other countries to use for heating.”

Progress in pursuing the path of plastic-free

Trying to go plastic free can seem overwhelming. Plastic is everywhere and easy, and takes commitment and perseverance to change.

Máté reminds us that nobody is perfect, and that progress is key, even in a bar as dedicated as Elysian. “Running a bar without plastic isn’t a flex—it’s a journey. A bit messy, sometimes inconvenient, and full of trial-and-error. But we believe in better. And while we’re not 100% there (yet), we’re choosing progress over perfection, one small shift at a time. Because sustainability isn’t a look—it’s a mindset. And ours is rooted in locality, long-term thinking, and less waste.

Here’s the truth: we’re not perfect—we’re just passionately stubborn.

Going plastic-free isn’t a switch, it’s a clumsy dance in a crowded service well. But we’re doing the work: experimenting, adapting, and moving forward, even if we spill a bit of clarified milk punch along the way. Progress over perfection—always.”