September 4th, 2024 – Community Spotlight
By: Tanesia White (Recycling Educator)
Interviewer: Allison McIntyre (Recycling Administrative Assistant)

The UCRRA Recycling Outreach Team’s “Community Spotlight” initiative highlights local stories about waste-sustainability. This month, Tanesia and Allison sat down with Aditi Goswami, Owner & Founder of Calcutta Kitchens, 448 Broadway, Kingston, NY 12401.

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Growing up in India, Aditi learned the art of making the most out of every ingredient. She watched women around her utilize everything when cooking a meal, from cauliflower stacks to potato skins. It is ingrained in Aditi’s culture and habits to be resourceful and this ethos is at the heart of Calcutta Kitchens, where Aditi offers more than just delicious meals — she champions a sustainable future.

In this interview, Aditi shares how her home-cooked philosophy shapes the menu at Calcutta Kitchens. By focusing on two exceptional meals each day and introducing a Tiffin Reuse Program, she not only embodies food that reminds you of home, but also encourages waste reduction. “If I ever had to open a restaurant,” Aditi says, “That it would be something like — hey, this is the food I made today at home, this is what I have to offer.”

Here’s how you can be a part of this movement: bring your own reusable container to Calcutta Kitchens and enjoy $1 off any meal or a 5% discount on food and beverages.

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Relevant Resources

Ulster County Tiffin Project:
The “Ulster County Tiffin Project” aims to increase community awareness about the impact of waste reduction and reuse as pollution prevention strategies. Tiffins are multi-tiered, reusable, metal food containers that replace wasteful, non-recyclable takeout containers when dining out. The project addresses pollution prevention by providing residents with FREE reusable, stainless steel Tiffin containers that eliminate their single-use, disposable counterparts.

Attend any one of our FREE classes to claim your FREE Tiffin! Our next event is September 23 @ 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm at SUNY New Paltz. All are welcome! Visit https://ucrra.org/event/uctp-suny-np/ for more information.

My Alternative to Plastic (M.A.P)

In 2022, the New Paltz Climate Action Coalition began an initiative to address single use plastic waste and encourage local residents to bring their own reusable containers to area restaurants, launching “The Tiffin Project.” The New Paltz Climate Action Coalition then created a “My Plastic Alternatives” (M.A.P). Use this interactive google map linked below to find plastic-free, package-free, and/or responsible package shopping and takeout dining locations (“tiffin-friendly”) in the Hudson Valley. The map has two “layers” that will display stores where you can shop as well as restaurants where you can bring a reusable “tiffin” for takeout dining.