How to Make Your Pizza-Filled Meal More Eco-Friendly

A trip to a pizzeria for a slice and a drink, or a call to a pizza joint to have a pie delivered, don't sound like activities that really use a lot of energy and resources. And they generally aren't that excessive in terms of their environmental costs. But if you've decided to try to make the things you do and buy a little more eco-friendly, pizza offers some great opportunities.

Patronize Local Places You Can Walk to, If Possible

First, if you can find a local place to go to, especially if you can walk to it, you save gas and avoid the controversy that comes with driving. And you get a nice walk there to get your appetite going, and a nice walk back to help you relax after the meal. If you have mobility issues that preclude walking and don't want to travel there, you can always see if a family member is willing to go pick up food at the restaurant. Of course, if you all want a lot to eat, then picking things up and walking back may be very awkward. Driving would be better then. But that's OK, as you're not trying to be perfect—you're just trying to make what changes you can.

If You Get Delivery or Carryout, Be Deliberate About Box Disposal

If you eat the pizza at the restaurant, you won't have to worry about dealing with the box afterward. But if you get a delivery or carryout, don't just toss the box in the garbage. Tear off portions that are not covered with cheese or grease and recycle them; place the food-soaked parts in a compost bin if that's available. If you don't have a compost bin at home, you can freeze those parts of the box until you have a chance to bring them to a recycling center that takes food waste for composting. Do what you can to avoid throwing things in the trash.

Bigger Pizzas Equal More Meals and Less Cooking

Obviously, most pizza restaurants would be thrilled if you ordered larger pizzas and more food because they can charge more money. But spending that extra money benefits you, too, especially if you want to save energy and resources. If you order a larger pizza that you'll have to partially freeze because you can't finish it in one sitting, not only do you have food for future meals, but other than warming up a slice, you won't have to spend more electricity or gas cooking a meal. And you don't even have to warm up the pizza if it's only cheese or has only vegetables as extra toppings, of course. Best of all, the restaurant would have used just about the same amount of energy cooking the larger pizza as it would have used to cook a smaller pizza. You've thus managed to conserve a little bit of energy by ordering that larger pie.

Pizza's a delicious, convenient food, and if you order pizza from a local place, you're already doing a lot to make the order a bit more eco-friendly. It may not sound like much, but every bit helps, and you get tasty pizza in the process. Look online at the menus of nearby pizza restaurants that are nearby that you or a family member or friend can walk to for food. You'll be helping a neighborhood business thrive, too.

For inspiration, look to a restaurant such as Modern Restaurant.

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