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Are restaurants near you starting to reopen? \u00a0I\u2019ve gotten to eat out several times in the past few weeks. \u00a0It\u2019s nice to get some fresh air and dine out with my family, but there is a new trend that I\u2019m finding to be so disturbing.\u00a0 So far, every restaurant where I\u2019ve dined only has single use plastic utensils and disposable napkins.\u00a0 What\u2019s even worse is that they come wrapped in plastic with a spoon, which I rarely need.\u00a0 And, what if you order a steak?\u00a0 Can a plastic knife even cut it?\u00a0 Not very easily.\u00a0 What a WASTE!\u00a0<\/p>\n

A lot of people use these plastic utensils, enjoy their meal, and never think about them again. \u00a0But the problem is that these plastics end up in our oceans and pollute the world.\u00a0 They impact animal species, the environment, AND our health.\u00a0 Restaurants are not intentionally trying to harm the environment, but these new guidelines are concerning all the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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So\u2026 what can we do as consumers?\u00a0 I want to support restaurants, but I can\u2019t stand plastic waste! \u00a0So without further ado, here are a few sustainable products for dining out post-quarantine.<\/p>\n

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The silicone, metal, bamboo\u2026reusable 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. \u00a0For those looking to save money, grabbing your household utensils and sticking them in a reusable baggie or reusable container will suffice. \u00a0However, if you want some easier options, I have found several options and am providing links for each.<\/p>\n

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MOST FUN:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The \u00a0Hommaly Portable Stainless Steel Flatware<\/strong><\/a> set is the perfect option!\u00a0 It includes a fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks, several straws, a cleaning brush, AND it comes in a cute, waterproof container.\u00a0 They\u2019ve thought of everything. There are lots of fun colors to choose from and the price<\/strong> ranges from $8.49-$10.99 depending on your color choice.\u00a0 These are a little pricier than my other suggestions because the utensils themselves have fun color choices.\u00a0 Black,\u00a0 gold, rose gold, rainbow, and silver.\u00a0 I personally like the rainbow!\u00a0 The spoon is a nice size (rather than enormous like some of my other options).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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*I think this is the best choice if you have kids because you can get them each a different color, so they don\u2019t get mixed up.\u00a0 The fun colors also don’t get confused with my nice kitchen set.<\/em><\/p>\n

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BEST PRICE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Teivio<\/a>: Stainless Steel- full size or portable size.\u00a0 The portable size is my top choice because it can fit more easily into a bag or the console of my car.<\/p>\n

Colors:<\/strong> Black, silver, blue, & rose gold<\/p>\n

Container:<\/strong> Black, eco-friendly<\/p>\n

Cost:<\/strong> $7.49<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mividas<\/a>: I like the travel case for this one because it securely holds every piece.\u00a0 It only comes in one color.\u00a0 The carrying case is a little larger than the other one so, it doesn’t fit as easily into my bag.\u00a0 When the case is folded closed it’s approximately 4 in. x 10 in.<\/p>\n

Container:<\/strong> Charcoal grey<\/p>\n

Cost:<\/strong> $11.99<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Napkins<\/a>:<\/strong> I\u2019ve also researched reusable, cloth napkins.\u00a0 There are A LOT of choices out there.\u00a0 I\u2019m sharing the brand that is the best price.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Cost: <\/strong>$17.99 for a dozen-\u00a0 $1.50 a napkin is not bad.\u00a0 There are lots of color choices here too.\u00a0 While they don\u2019t come with a nice carrying case like the utensils, trust me when I tell you that you don\u2019t want the paper napkin that comes with the plastic utensils at restaurants right now.\u00a0 It\u2019s the thickness of a tissue.\u00a0 Completely useless, not to mention wasteful.<\/a><\/p>\n

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So, the next time you go out to eat, look around.\u00a0 How much plastic do you see?\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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Also, to learn more about the issue with single use plastic, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Restaurants are re-opening around the world and they are using SO MUCH PLASTIC! When my meal comes, I’m given a baggie with all plastic utensils. Don’t worry though, I’ve found a solution! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27,15],"tags":[662,663,668,667,665,666,132,669,144,143,664,661],"yoast_head":"\n