Are restaurants near you starting to reopen? I’ve gotten to eat out several times in the past few weeks. It’s nice to get some fresh air and dine out with my family, but there is a new trend that I’m finding to be so disturbing. So far, every restaurant where I’ve dined only has single use plastic utensils and disposable napkins. What’s even worse is that they come wrapped in plastic with a spoon, which I rarely need. And, what if you order a steak? Can a plastic knife even cut it? Not very easily. What a WASTE!
A lot of people use these plastic utensils, enjoy their meal, and never think about them again. But the problem is that these plastics end up in our oceans and pollute the world. They impact animal species, the environment, AND our health. Restaurants are not intentionally trying to harm the environment, but these new guidelines are concerning all the same.
So… what can we do as consumers? I want to support restaurants, but I can’t stand plastic waste! So without further ado, here are a few sustainable products for dining out post-quarantine.
The silicone, metal, bamboo…reusable straw trend is thankfully catching on- if you even feel the need to use a straw. But I want you to add to that by bringing your own reusable utensils when you eat out. For those looking to save money, grabbing your household utensils and sticking them in a reusable baggie or reusable container will suffice. However, if you want some easier options, I have found several options and am providing links for each.
MOST FUN:
The Hommaly Portable Stainless Steel Flatware set is the perfect option! It includes a fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks, several straws, a cleaning brush, AND it comes in a cute, waterproof container. They’ve thought of everything. There are lots of fun colors to choose from and the price ranges from $8.49-$10.99 depending on your color choice. These are a little pricier than my other suggestions because the utensils themselves have fun color choices. Black, gold, rose gold, rainbow, and silver. I personally like the rainbow! The spoon is a nice size (rather than enormous like some of my other options).
*I think this is the best choice if you have kids because you can get them each a different color, so they don’t get mixed up. The fun colors also don’t get confused with my nice kitchen set.
BEST PRICE:
Teivio: Stainless Steel- full size or portable size. The portable size is my top choice because it can fit more easily into a bag or the console of my car.
Colors: Black, silver, blue, & rose gold
Container: Black, eco-friendly
Cost: $7.49
Mividas: I like the travel case for this one because it securely holds every piece. It only comes in one color. The carrying case is a little larger than the other one so, it doesn’t fit as easily into my bag. When the case is folded closed it’s approximately 4 in. x 10 in.
Container: Charcoal grey
Cost: $11.99
Napkins: I’ve also researched reusable, cloth napkins. There are A LOT of choices out there. I’m sharing the brand that is the best price.
Cost: $17.99 for a dozen- $1.50 a napkin is not bad. There are lots of color choices here too. While they don’t come with a nice carrying case like the utensils, trust me when I tell you that you don’t want the paper napkin that comes with the plastic utensils at restaurants right now. It’s the thickness of a tissue. Completely useless, not to mention wasteful.
So, the next time you go out to eat, look around. How much plastic do you see? Please be a trend-setter and bring your own utensils. Comment below to let me know which ones you choose. I encourage you to look at my related articles as well that share other reusable options.
Also, to learn more about the issue with single use plastic, click here.
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments and recognition on your Podcast, you are doing some great work and I am very honored to be mentioned! I agree that bringing your own silverware is a more energy-efficient option. One of my hopes from sharing products on this site is to make living sustainably more accessible for everyone, even if you’re not an environmentalist per se. So, although I probably would bring utensils I already have, having a specific bag is an easy option for a lot of people – and they can be used in kids’ lunches when schools start back. So, if these suggestions encourage people to bring reusable silverware, even if it was purchased for this purpose, I think it is a step in the right direction.
Thank you for raising this issue and recommending we take our own reusable utensils and napkins. We’ll mention this (and your blog post) on the next episode we record of the GrowthBusters podcast about sustainable living. I do suggest no one needs to buy anything MORE to accomplish this, regardless of its cute carrying case. I wrap my reusable utensils (pre-existing, everyday tableware just sitting in a drawer in the kitchen) in a cloth napkin to take to the restaurant and bring them home. Remember, there is embedded energy, and extraction of raw materials, to make nearly every new product you buy.