Rethinking sugar packets: Origins, usage, and waste issues
Sugar packets are an essential element in every restaurant and café. These small packets allow us to sweeten our favourite drink with just the right amount of sugar. However, it turns out that many people don't know how to open a packet correctly. See if you are doing it right.
Sugar packets have become an integral part of visiting a café or restaurant. Their convenient form lets guests decide how much sweetener to add to their coffee or tea independently. Not everyone knows how to open a packet without spilling sugar on the table.
Where did sugar packets come from?
Sugar packets first appeared in the United States in the late 20th century. At that time, restaurants provided customers with sugar bowls and glass dispensers, which were often seen as unhygienic. This inconvenience, associated with open sugar containers, led to the development of practical packets.
The idea of creating single-use sugar packets came to entrepreneur Benjamin Eisenstadt. Being involved in the tea industry, Eisenstadt thought that packing sugar in small containers could be similar to packing tea. This way, transporting sugar and adding it to a drink would be much more convenient.
How to open sugar packets?
Although opening sugar packets may seem straightforward, it often results in sugar spilling on the table or floor instead of in the cup. We usually try to tear off one end of the packet and pour the sugar into the cup. In fact, this is a mistake, as the small sugar packet should be opened differently.
How to open a sugar packet properly? Hold the packet over the cup and break it in the middle, trying to join the ends of the packet together. This way, the entire contents of the packet end up in the right place.
What happens to unused sugar in packets?
Dining establishments have strict guidelines regarding products placed on a table. Even though the packets are factory-sealed, health regulations do not allow for their reuse. Unfortunately, these rules mean that every unused packet goes straight into the trash. This is not only a waste of sugar but also an unnecessary use of resources in the form of packaging.
In large restaurants, hundreds of packets may be discarded daily. Although this solution adheres to sanitary standards, it raises concerns about the waste of products that could still be used.
Remember to take any unused sugar packets with you. You can use the sugar at home or during travel. Otherwise, the packet you picked up when ordering a drink will end up in the trash.
