Find Out Why Reusable Utensils are In!

This means that Single-Use Plastics are Out

The Old Days

Remember when Folgers Coffee and pancake mix came in aluminum containers? …when Pepsi and Coca Cola bottled their drinks in glass? Now when you walk down the grocery store aisle or stop at that gas station you will find these products in plastic packaging. I know, I know – it’s convenient. But convenience comes at an environmental price. We live in such a disposable world nowadays. Everywhere you go – fast-food restaurants, zoos, movie theatres, birthday parties… you will most likely find products that are made for convenience- made with single-use plastics. Should convenience continue to outweigh the global environmental issues rising from this disposable world we’ve created?

Times are Changing – All Aboard

But times are changing especially when it comes to single-use plastics. Many plastics are no longer recyclable because of contamination or poor material quality with no end-user who will use the plastic. According to the Balance Small Business Website (and other estimates), “plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills. Even plastic bags…can take anywhere from 10 to 1,000 years…, and plastic bottles can take up to 450 years or more.”

So, they go to the landfill where they stay for hundreds, even thousands of years.

Plastic utensils like disposable cups, forks, spoons, plates, are not recyclable either – can you see the issues? One small step is all it takes to be the change for our planet, our people and our environment.

Small Step towards More Sustainable Ways

One small step you should take to make a big impact is to carry a reusable, durable utensil set. Did you know in the U.S., one estimate predicts that 500 million single-use straws are used every day…with as much as 8.3 billion plastic straws polluting beaches worldwide? “Eight million tons of plastic flow into the ocean every year, and straws comprise just 0.025 percent of that” (National Geographic). Think about if you had a set of utensils – fork, spoon, and at least one straw. If you ate at a fast-food restaurant one time per week and used your reusable set, you would save 52 plastic forks, 52 plastic spoons, 52 straws per year!

When you use a durable set, you will save 156 disposable plastic utensils you kept out of landfills and oceans in just 365 days! Imagine the ripple effect if others around you used reusable sets too. 156 becomes 312, which becomes 468, which becomes 624 utensils prevented from going into the landfill or environment….

Tips & Tricks for Using Your Durable Utensil Set

It can be more convenient to use the plastic fork and spoon when you sit down for lunch, however using a reusable utensils set is easy if you give it a chance. Below are tips and tricks on getting the most out of your reusable set.

·         Always keep your set either in your purse/backpack or in your car. By doing this, you then have your utensils waiting and ready to go when that time of need arrives!

·         Wipe them off after use and put them back in your pouch. Once you get back home you can then either throw them in the dishwasher or run them under some water and soap really quick, and then they’re ready to go for your next outing!

·         Run to the restroom quick after you eat or drink something and rinse off your set before putting it back in your pouch. If you rinse it (and even use some soap) then you wouldn’t even have to worry about cleaning it when you get back home!

It may take a time to get used to your durable utensil set. Saying no to that plastic straw or not picking up that plastic fork or spoon, but eventually, it will become second nature. And you are one step closer to helping save the planet!

Please like us on Facebook or Instagram or visit our website for more information about how you can be more sustainable and purchase your reusable utensils set!