Some supermarkets and restaurants are reacting to the growing public demand to reduce plastic waste by either offering alter-native packaging or allowing customers to bring their own reusable containers.

International Facebook groups like Plastic Free Support – which has over 17,000 members – have been sharing ideas for ways to cut the use of plastic that go well beyond things like using fabric shopping bags. Local group No To Plastic Malta has 2,500 members and Plastic Free Malta has almost 300 followers.

Rebecca Gera takes a container with her to buy take-aways and other produce.

One person who has embraced the campaign is Rebecca Gera, who takes her own plastic containers to supermarkets, butchers and even takeaway outlets.

“You never know what the reaction is going to be, but I was surprised how many outlets welcomed me,” she said, saying all it took was a bit of planning.

Visitors to the Facebook sites name and shame outlets that use too much plastic but also recommend outlets that do offer recyclable containers or bags and those that encourage customers to bring their own.

Some foods are easier than others to place in customers’ containers. Park Towers manager Chris Borg said that one issue was weighing produce before packaging it and putting a bar code on the container.

However, the problems do not seem insurmountable.

Charlene Dalli Mintoff of Valyou Supermarkets is lobbying local producers to embrace the move away from plastic.

Valyou supermarkets introduced a way to weigh containers before filling them, which worked particularly well for the delicatessen counter, manager Charlene Dalli Mintoff said.

Valyou put up signs a few months ago encouraging customers to “Bring your own,” and once they were posted on Facebook, the number of those doing so rose dramatically, she said.

Of course, as Mr Borg notes, many foods are imported in plastic packaging. Ms Dalli Mintoff is lobbying local suppliers to re-think and having limited success. For instance, one egg producer switched to a paper-based carton but wrapped it in plastic.

Egg cartons used to be returned - but the 'sell-by' date means that this is no longer an option.

“One step forward but still so many steps to go,” she shrugged.

But it is not just supermarkets that are taking note.

Takeaway food is being offered in paper cartons by Zen Sushi and TukTuk South Indian Food , for example. TukTuk South Indian Food ’s co-founder, Clinton Cachia, opted for paper, even though a carton can cost as much as 35c, three times as much as plastic.

“Quite obviously, plastic containers are much cheaper. However, by shifting to green materials we want to show we are a responsible brand, and by doing so and through our attitude towards the environment, we will attract more customers that will keep returning,” he said.

The Carob Tree food court, where TukTuk South Indian Food is located, has plans for a steady progression of sustainable measures, with plastic-free being just the start.

Director Chris Demicoli said it was not that hard to persuade the outlets at the new food court to come on board: “This initiative is the future. And suppliers are coming on board with better pricing for plastic alternatives.”

Is the effort worth it at the end of the day? Ms Gera certainly thinks so: “The volume of my waste has been greatly reduced.”