tell businesses you want green options

i have this tendency to get indignant about certain aspects of services and products i receive or pay for and to say, "i'm going to write a letter!" once in a while, if it's worth it, i do. if you're like me and you don't like confrontation, the concerned letter is a great way to express your desire for positive change. the below is a letter i'm about to send to a local pizza restaurant. names redacted to give the business time to respond. i'll post the response with the real, google-able name. --- October 26, 2007 [my personal information] [owner and address] Dear Owner, I'm a great fan of [redacted]. For a time, my husband and I had a standing weekly date there with friends, and we looked forward to sharing our typical [special]. However, as time goes on, I've become more and more concerned about the environmental impact of your business. The waste created by the current practice is unreasonable and, for me, untenable as a customer. There are several ways that you can reduce your unrecyclable waste and save money at the same time: Offer wrapped straws to customers. Save time, money and plastic by asking servers to refrain from placing unwrapped straws in drinks. It's a small thing that, multiplied hundreds of times daily, can add up quickly. Portion salad dressings individually, directly onto salads or into reusable containers. When ceramic or metal sauce cups are affordable and readily available, there's no reason to use disposables for dine-in orders. Replace all Styrofoam products. When I ordered [redacted] delivery for the first time, I was shocked to see that an order of bread sticks came in Styrofoam when a simple paper bag or a cardboard box would have sufficed. I've sometimes had uncomfortable dealings with servers who make it clear that Styrofoam is the preferred material for take-out boxes. Pre-cut sheets of recyclable aluminum foil are cost-effective for pizza slices and sandwiches. Until [redacted] makes an effort to use more sustainable packaging and reduce waste, I'll choose to take my business elsewhere. Pizza Express takes sustainability seriously, and I choose to support that. Choosing to take measures to become more sustainable and reduce unnecessary waste and only help you and your business in the long run in our progressive community. I hope to hear positive news back from you so that I can bring out-of-town guests again and suggest [redacted] as a meeting place with friends. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, [Me] --- i'll let you know how this works. i've only done this with one other local business, and they replaced their Syrofoam products for soup, so i kind of don't want to jinx the magic. i will tell you who they are, however. Bloomington Bagel Company! they're great! go get some shmear!