I’m Iman and I’m a foodie; which means I absolutely love eating out and I’m also trying to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Are the two contradictories? Absolutely. Does it have to be difficult? Absolutely not.

Iman Najeeb a foodie and green at heart is seen here in the Russian Roses 2- Pc for Rs. 4898/-

 
Unfortunately, I can’t just be a foodie all day and have to retort to being a student most of the time. Which means always having to be careful about deadlines and submissions, which is rather difficult if you’re a procrastinator like me, so my nights are usually spent in front of the laptop screen… I can’t promise it’s always for studying because hey, who doesn’t love a little midnight Netflix paired with a midnight snack? Regardless of whether I chose to binge-watch FRIENDS and munch or study, I’m sleep deprived when dawn strikes. Which means one thing only: Coffee.
 

Iman Najeeb  is seen here in the Russian Roses 2- Pc for Rs. 4898/-

 

THE PROBLEM WITH OUR COFFEE AND TEA TAKEAWAYS

Us Pakistanis love our caffeine hit early in the morning, don’t we? Whether its tea or coffee, it’s the first thing we grab as we go to our class or workplace. Most universities/offices will have a tea/coffee set up, with paper cups, plastic spoons, tea bags, sugar packets etc. and it’s in our nature to simply make a cup (I know you drink more than just one cup, don’t worry; don’t we all?) for ourselves every single day without thinking twice about where all these cups and spoons end up. Unfortunately, they end up in our streams, rivers, oceans, and stay there… that’s what we need to be more cautious about.
 

WHY WORRY ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM

Living an eco-friendly lifestyle has never been about me, it’s always been about my planet, the only one we have, it’s about our ecosystem, our marine life, our wildlife, and it’s about sustaining life on earth and something as simple as your daily cup of chai makes that a problem.
 

SOME TIPS TO BE MORE ECONFRIENDLY WHEN EATING OUT

Here’s how to tackle this problem: Use reusable cups and spoons instead of using disposable ones. It’s truly as simple as that. There’s only one extra step you’re adding:
Carrying a travel cup!                                                                                                                  
They come in all different shapes and sizes, it’s far more exciting to get your coffee in this anyway, some days I get to use a marble print mug, while some days its bright green. You get to mix and match and break the monotony, perhaps even match with your outfit and make a look out of it!
 

Iman Najeeb  is seen here in the Russian Roses 2- Pc for Rs. 4898/-

Get yours at Forever Green  or EcoPak  on Instagram, an eco-friendly female-led startup that promotes an eco-friendly, waste-free lifestyle.
Hot beverages aren’t for everyone, especially in our scorching summer days, so most of us retort to ice teas, iced lattes, slushes etc, and they too, come in… yep, plastic cups. So what do you do? You guessed it!
Carry a reusable cup and ask the server to pour your drink in your cup instead of the disposable one.
 
The thing about these drinks is, they don’t just come in a plastic cup alone, there is also a plastic lid and a plastic straw that comes with it. That’s A LOT of waste for something that’s going to last for 600-800 years and you’re going to gulp down in a couple of minutes.

Iman Najeeb  is seen here in the Polski  2- Pc for Rs.7298-

Here’s a simple solution:
Along with your reusable cup, take along reusable metal straws that are easy to clean, easy to store and last a lifetime!

 
Besides, it makes your drink so much more Instagrammable! What are you waiting for? Buy yours now at www.trashit.pk, a youth-led startup that focuses on eliminating Pakistan’s food and plastic waste.
What else takes up to 800 years to decompose but is only used for a couple of minutes? Disposable spoons and forks. Just like taking metal straws along, take metal cutlery along; a simple fork and spoon from your kitchen and just like that, you’re cutting down a huge part of your plastic waste. You don’t even have to purchase anything new, how convenient is that?
Contrary to popular belief, Islamabad does have amazing food, I mean have you tried our papri chat? Yummers. The only issue with that is of course: It comes with single-use plastic spoons and forks. (Disappointing, but not surprising)
The key is to tell your server beforehand not to serve your food with plastic cutlery and use your own like the eco-friendly queen that you are.
Personally, I hate that it comes in Styrofoam packaging so I always keep a little lunch box in my car and whenever I’m in a situation where the food comes in plastic, paper or Styrofoam packaging, I simply give my server my Tupperware and ask them to serve it in that instead of their regular packaging.
Easy peasy.
I love me a good papri chat, but I can’t take a huge serving down without water, and it doesn’t make sense to make your chat so waste-free and then buy yourself bottled water, right?
 

Iman Najeeb  is seen here in the Patch Pop 2- Pc for Rs.8498/-

My solution to quench your thirst is nothing new, and I’m sure you all practice it in a certain capacity anyway, however, making it a habit is important.
So, while you’re packing your travel mug, your straws and cutlery, go ahead and make sure you always have your reusable water bottle on hand and never have to buy bottled water again.
 

Iman Najeeb  is seen here in the Patch Pop 2- Pc for Rs.8498/-

And there you have it, a detailed guide on how to eat out waste-free.
Don’t worry about how much you’re eating ladies, just worry about how much waste you’re creating and enjoy yourself a scrumptious, eco-friendly meal.
 
Written by: Iman Najeeb
Featuring: Iman Najeeb
Directed by: Marya Javaid
Photography: Tuba Afzal