Ditch The Plastic: Fork

This is Part II of a three-part series; click here for Part I and Part III.

Welcome to Part 2 of Ditch The Plastic!

By now, I'm sure you're a pro on Nalgene usage. You know the facts. You've got the water bottle habit nailed.

So let's move on to...

Step Two: The Fork...and the Knife and Spoon, too

Earlier this year, the EU made headlines for approving a ban on certain single-use plastics, including cutlery. The move heralds a growing awareness of the tremendous waste generated by these singe-use items, which contribute a lot to global plastic waste. Cutlery is the epitome of "single-use", always thrown out when we're done using it. But think about the path that plastic fork takes once it leaves your plate! It's estimated that more than 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced globally since the early 1950's; about 60% of that plastic has ended up in either a landfill or the natural environment (link), where it clogs waterways or breaks down into toxic microplastics.

Clearly, we can stand to improve our recycling of plastics. But what about these single-use items like cutlery, which often aren't recyclable because they're contaminated with food waste or difficult to process? To have a greater effect on this source, we don't just need to recycle - we need to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics to start with. And that's where you come in.

What To Use:

A cutlery set (fork, knife, and spoon) that is designed for reuse. This can take many shapes - some of your regular dining flatware works, or even a plastic set that you dedicate for reuse rather than the trash! I have this bamboo travel set from EarthHero, which includes chopsticks, if you're into that.

If you really want to go all out, check out this zero-waste lunch kit from Wild Minimalist that my sister clued me in on (thanks, Dana!).

How To Use It:

Hopefully I don't have to tutor you on the finer points of fork usage. Just kidding!

Take your set of cutlery and put it in your work bag, your backpack, etc. When you pack lunch (do pack your lunch, it's ridiculous not to), add your set to your lunchbox so it's right there when you need it. And most importantly - tell your friends and coworkers that you're trying to stop using so much plastic. You'd be surprised at how people will help and encourage you in improving your habits!

How To Clean It:

Throw it in the dishwasher, simple as that! If you run out of time or forget, a quick rinse and scrub in the sink will suffice; don't worry, the germs won't hurt you. Just make sure to give it a wash next time you have a minute.

My workplace/favorite restaurant uses biodegradable forks. Aren't those okay to use?

Biodegradable plates, cups, and cutlery are certainly a step in the right direction. But it may not be solving the waste issue - it depends on the makeup of your cutlery and where they're disposed of.

Biodegradable cutlery undergoes aerobic digestion when it breaks down - that's a nerdy way of saying that it needs oxygen in order to be digested. Unfortunately, many biodegradable pieces are thrown in with the usual trash, which is sent to a landfill. These landfills are often capped, which means they're sealed off from the oxygen needed to breakdown biodegradable materials. As a result, the biodegradables undergo anaerobic digestion (meaning without oxygen), which produces methane as a by-product. And methane, as we know, is a greenhouse gas that's about 30x more potent than carbon dioxide.

If your workplace is very diligent, they'll have you dispose of your biodegradable cutlery in a separate bin, and send that bin off to an industrial composting facility where it can be treated properly. But not every community has a facility like this.

Long story short - biodegradable cutlery is a good idea, but it still fights an uphill battle with a system that's not designed to handle it. Better to go with the sure thing, and just get yourself a reusable kit.