Key takeaways: should you BYO containers when buying food?

Asking for coffee in a reusable cup or reusing shopping bags is second nature for many, but bringing your own containers for takeaway can take getting used to. Here are some tips to get started Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household's carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.comBefore the advent of cheap, single-use take away packaging, legend has it that Australian families used to bring saucepans to their local Chinese restaurant to pick up their Friday night take-out. Until the early 1980s, when concerns about ink contamination outlawed it, fish and chips came wrapped in old newspapers.These days, Australians' love affair with caffeine has made reusable coffee cups ubiquitous, and most of us have a stack of tupperware at home for school lunches. Yet fronting up to the salad bar or deli counter with your own container still feels a bit weird. Continue reading...