It's easy (and trendy!) to be able to say no to plastic utensils when you are out and about.
As long as you have silverware in your home, you can avoid the trap of constantly using plastic utensils when you are eating out! I first started by taking a knife, fork, and spoon (and reusable straw, if you have one, but I'm not a big straw user in general) and put them in makeup bags, eyeglass sleeves, wrapped them in dishcloths, whatever I had that worked, and then kept that in a compartment in my bag that I take to work every day. I had gotten into such a habit of bringing my reusable drink container any time I went out for lunch, it easily became second nature to grab this little bag of utensils as well. I'm also exploring food containers (more on that to come, stay tuned!), but all so say that this is an easy fix.
Many countries, including the EU recently, have been announcing that they plan to ban the use of plastic utensils in the coming year - so here is your opportunity to be prepared ahead of the curve, and to look trendy doing it! Washington DC is also in the process of implementing a Plastic Straw Ban, and there is already a coalition of restaurants and vendors across the DMV area that are signing up to be straw-free and single-use plastic free. There is even a tip hotline where you can report restaurants or vendors that you encounter that aren't following regulations around the plastic straw and stirrer ban in DC.
Ultimately, yes I did cave and end up purchasing the nifty bamboo version with a teeny tiny carabiner pictured above (I can't resist) that I carry around everywhere with me now. But that just means that my other ones have been distributed to other bags that I use as a backup. No need for anything fancy or expensive here!
More info on this product: To-Go Ware (Patagonia)
Reusable straws: Final Straw
You can also purchase these on Amazon, but always better to buy locally and avoid the shipping!
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