To carry reusable cutlery is perhaps one of the easiest ways to cut down on single-use plastic. Nicole and I have been “carrying” since the beginning of our sustainability journey, but it’s something we haven’t written about as part of our 2×12 Reduction Challenge . . . until now. The concept is simple: carry a set of reusable utensils whenever you’re on the go so that when you eat out (at places which do not provide ‘real’ cutlery), you can use your own silverware instead of single-use plastic. Use it, bring it home, wash, and repeat. What follows are a few anecdotes that illustrate the realities of bringing your own set.

Instinct

You may notice in the featured image above that the top set of cutlery (made by To-Go Ware) is bamboo, save for a single mismatched metal spoon. We had that set with us on a trip to the San Diego Zoo. A friend and her young daughters were with us. It was summer, it was hot, and of course we bought soft-serve ice cream. To avoid waste, we got cones, not cups. As you’d expect, within minutes the ice cream was melting all over the kids.

Like the hero that I am, I reached into my backpack and pulled out a reusable to-go container into which we poured the remaining ice cream. I then handed over the container along with the bamboo spoon so the girls could finish their treat. Fast forward. We’re all on the way to see the polar bears when I look down, and the girls are no longer holding the ice cream. “I finished, so I threw it out.”

It was a funny reminder how automatic it is to dispose of everything. On the up side, the experience is probably something the girls and the mom will remember in the future. Plus, it’s not like it was a major loss. We replaced the spoon for $0.50 from a thrift store. Live and learn.

To Buy is Good, To Make is Divine

Turns out, you can’t trust adults either. A few weeks ago my parents and I went out for burritos. I brought along a set of old plastic utensils for everyone, a lot like the black plastic set in the picture above. It’s nothing fancy, just a bunch of plastic cutlery we saved once, rubber-banded together, and now we keep it in the car for convenience. What’s more zero-waste than making a utensil set from the stuff you already have in your drawer? Anyway, half-way through the meal, * SNAP *, my dad breaks a fork in two. You’re bound to lose a few, especially cheapo plastic ones.

Sporks

My mom has enthusiastically embraced reusable cutlery also. She’s not exactly an outdoorsy woman, but I thought her solution was creative. She went to REI and bought a camping spork (you can also get cool bamboo sporks). She writes, “The Spork: aluminum, lightweight, goes through security, cleans easily, fits in your purse. One time, in Italy, I even twirled spaghetti with it (kinda). Works better with gelato.”

Utensils Are Like Cameras

Photographers say the best camera is the one you can have with you all the time. The same is true of utensil sets. We started out with one set, but it was definitely a chore to remember who had it or where it was. Now, we have a bunch of sets. Many of them are cobbled together from the thrift store or from plastic “single-use” cutlery that we’ve accidentally acquired and are now reusing. We’ve got a set in each car, a set in Nicole’s lunchbox, and a set in my backpack. They come in handy more often than you’d think.

Good, Better, Best,

Mike