The
other day, I was in a mad rush and had to grab lunch to go at a popular
chain restaurant in midtown Manhattan. I got a salad, a sandwich and
some yogurt. What can I say? I was really hungry. The server
included two sets of utensils including forks, spoons, and knives just
for me. What appalled me was that 1) she thought this lunch was for two
people and 2) the massive amounts of plastic utensils we waste every
day. I wished I brought my own utensils.
Eating outside of your home usually requires not only food, but a massive amount of food containers and plastic utensils. According to Adam Starr from GOOD magazine, “for the majority of Americans, oil is involved in all three of these components. Food, especially processed food, requires tremendous amounts of oil to grow, process, and transport it. The plastic food containers we use are made from oil. Likewise, the great majority of our disposable forks, spoons, and knives are made from petroleum-based plastics.”
What makes me worry is that there is no place for these discarded utensils to go except in our landfills, beaches, and oceans. Americans toss out enough plastic spoons, knives, and forks each year to circle the equator 300 times, according to Starr.
According to the EPA, the United States produces approximately 220 million tons of garbage each year, the equivalent of burying more than 82,000 football fields six feet deep in compacted garbage.
That is why I love To-Go Ware, a Berkeley based company started by Stephanie Bernstein. To-Go Ware makes utensils made out of bamboo utensil sets and stainless steel food tins to help reduce our reliance on oil and to cut down the amount of garbage we produce everyday.
I got my first set back in November and I absolutely love them. I put them in my bag never have to worry. Besides, you can wash your own and you don’t have to worry about other people’s hands touching your utensils.
To-Go Ware Sets are reusable and come in an easy to carry. A handy carabiner on the back lets you clip and carry a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks wherever they may roam. Plus, they are antibacterial due to the bamboo's cellular structure! Perfect for a busy lifestyle and our precious planet. RePEaT utensil holders give plastic bottles a second shot at a useful life – and an opportunity to stay out of our landfills.
I got these for a bunch of my friends as stocking stuffers for Christmas. Just leave them around for your home so your family can grab it to go!
For more information, visit To-Go Ware
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