The state of Colorado has put together a draft guidance for restaurant reopening in the state, and is accepting public comments here until Friday.

Many times, single-use items are favored in these guidelines for “safety”, even though there isn’t evidence that they actually reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. We took a look through the guidance, and wanted to share the comments we submitted to the state.

Guidance 1: “Use disposable single-use menus, menu boards, or create on-line menus for guests to review from their electronic device”

Add in an option to disinfect reusable menus between services. This matches National Restaurant Association’s guidelines, reduces waste, and is safer than disposable menus.

An employee has to touch a disposable menu to place it on a table, or if multiple menus are sitting at a table, many customers will touch them, and they are unable to be disinfected. A reusable menu can be placed on the table right after cleaning without any additional contact.

Guidance 2: “Provide single use or single serving condiments”

Make it a requirement for single use condiments to be served by request only, instead of sitting on a table. If they are sitting on a table, many people will come into contact with those packets creating unnecessary transmission risk. 

Also, allow for restaurant staff to use multi-use condiments in the kitchen and place the sauce on the customer’s plate if they request it. This is no different from a chef adding olive oil to a dish, and has less transmission risk compared to single-use condiments.

For single-use condiments, a server will need to hand it to the customer, and the customer needs to open the packaging creating contact with their fingers. Many times the sauce can spill from opening these, and some people react by licking it off their finger, creating another unnecessary risk. A chef distributing condiments from a multi-use bottle in the kitchen onto a plate doesn't have this problem, and is equally safe (if not more) compared to single-use condiments.

Guidance 3: “Employees… Only disposable cups. Leave personal water bottles at home.”

Remove this requirement. Allow for the use of personal water bottles with guidance for sanitizing them appropriately. Disposable cups will come into contact with many more people and present a higher transmission risk.

If they are stacked, many people will have to handle them when getting a new cup. A personal water bottle only touches one person, and it can be easily sanitized, making it safer for transmission risk, and better for the environment.

Add your voice!

Submit your thoughts to the public comment here before Friday. Feel free to use our response, or craft your own. Safety from COVID-19 transmission doesn’t have to mean single-use.