Panko Chan

​​Panko Chan​, located in the seaside town of Kingston Beach, is a popular destination for both locals and visitors. Known for its fresh Japanese seafood dishes, Panko Chan is equally passionate about safeguarding the environment from plastic pollution.

To tackle the growing issue of plastic waste, Panko Chan are committed to encouraging their customers to bring their own reusable food containers. Through eye-catching signage and conversations with customers, they actively promote the use of reusables over single-use plastic items.

Panko Chan branded enamel mugs available for customers to buy. They have a cute cartoon black cat asleep in an orange tent under a night sky. The cat has a thought bubble with a fish in it to show it is dreaming of fish

A Reusable Panko Chan Mug Available to Purchase​​

printed A4 signs on the counter at Panko Chan which read "reusables preferred here"

Reusables encouraged at Panko Chan

Karen Liu, Manager of Panko Chan, answers questions below about how these initiatives are helping the restaurant to reduce their environmental impact, while enhancing the dining experience in this beautiful coastal community:

Who is Panko Chan?​​

“Panko Chan is the name of the cat in our logo. We took over the business four years ago, and it was an existing brand. Panko Chan in Japanese means little bread crumb, which reflects the fact that in Japanese dishes panko crumb is often used.

As with many hospitality businesses, things changed for us during Covid. Because the previous owner could only provide takeaway food, lots of additional dishes were added to our menu, like ramen and poke bowls. The restaurant has a focus on Japanese flavours mixed with Australian style as well as more traditional Japanese dishes”

Tell us about the reusable foodware initiatives you’ve implemented so far?​​

“We have always used paper bags, and most of our takeaway containers are cardboard or bagasse. We try to use eco-friendly products as much as possible, although some of our products still contain bioplastics. It has been difficult to change to 100% compostables.”

What made you decide to transition away from single-use plastics?​

“We care deeply about the environment. It’s not only about single-use plastics, but also trying to reuse as many things as possible.

Plastic is having a huge impact not just on our environment, but also on people. Recent studies have even found plastic in the human body. So that’s another reason I’m trying to do this.”

How do you encourage your customers to bring their own reusable containers?​​

“We have signs stating that we accept and prefer reusable containers on our front window and on our counter. When our customers come to pay at the counter, and they see the signs, it generates conversation. They often tell us they didn’t realise they could bring their own container until they saw the sign, and we have a chat with them about how we really appreciate it when they bring their own containers because it not only reduces waste, but it also is a better outcome for them.

When a customer gets takeaway and has to travel some distance, some of the single- use containers lose heat. Especially for hot soups, by the time they get home the container has started to get soft, or it could be leaking. If a customer brings their own container, it holds heat better and it won’t have the problem of losing strength and leaking. It’s a much better customer experience overall. When customers take their food back home in a reusable container, they also have the option of re-heating their food easily, if needed.”

Before we had plastic water bottles, but we’ve switched away from that and all our other drinks are sold in glass bottles. Sometimes people pop in and ask for a bottle of water, and because we don’t have that, we provide them with water from the tap in glasses.

We have a water refill station where people can either have a drink in a glass, or refill their water bottles. We even have some local kids who pop in for a glass of water on their way back from fishing down at the beach.”

What were some challenges you faced when encouraging people to bring their own containers?​​

“Most people still rely on single-use containers because they are very convenient, and there is also a perception that they are cleaner than reusable containers. It can be difficult to change these perceptions.

Some of our regular customers always bring their own containers, and sometimes they get asked by friends why they are bringing their own containers when single-use is available. Our customers who use reusables are great at spreading awareness about why they are doing it and how it reduces waste. It’s great because a lot of people haven’t considered that before.

Compostable and eco-friendly products can make people think there isn’t any impact at all on the environment. Some of these products still take a really long time to break down in landfill or in the environment. It’s still a problem.”

What did you do to overcome some of these challenges?​​

“We have kept on promoting reusable containers and sharing our experiences. When people saw our signs they started talking about it, and we talked about it with them too. We have found that we’re able to give them more knowledge and encourage them to bring their own container.

We have a few regular customers who bring their own containers for their food and drinks. Sometimes I ask them “may I take a photo of your container with our food” and I post it to Instagram and Facebook. I think social media is a good way to promote this as people use it every day. When they see these posts, it encourages them to make the change too.”

Were there any unexpected positive outcomes?​​

“We have regular customers who always bring their own containers now, and we have an online ordering system where people can pre-order their meals through our website. When they are bringing their own container, they can make a note in the ordering system and we will hold the order until they come in and make it fresh. They then get freshly cooked food from us, and it’s a better outcome for them. Sometimes if customers arrive late and it's already in a single-use container, it’s already soaked in a bit and the food isn’t as fresh and hot.”

What would you say to other restaurants who are considering encouraging their customers to bring their own containers?

“From a cost angle, plastic containers can be cheaper than compostables. But it’s not only about short-term profits, it's also about the environmental and societal impact years later. We need to think about the next generation, and also species other than us; the whole planet. If our oceans are full of rubbish, it will be a disaster. It’s not just about money, I am trying to do something good for the community and society, as well as running a business.”

 Panko Chan Case Study (PDF 473Kb)

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