Comments on: Dining Sustainably

By: Sometimes I’m a little slow. | Tiny Choices

Sometimes I’m a little slow. | Tiny Choices — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:03:34 +0000

[...] When I was out at breakfast with friends in Pittsburgh on Sunday, I noticed that Aurora and Jesse gave their straws back to the server. This was right after Jesse pulled out his cloth napkin, and the cogs started spinning. Call me a little slow, but for the first time ever I realized that straws were wasteful and that I shouldn’t use them! This is ridiculous - I’ve recognized that straws were wasteful (my dad is known for taking straws from restaurants, washing them in the dishwasher, and putting them back to work), but I have never made the additional mental jump to: …ERGO I SHOULD NOT USE THEM. [...]

By: Tiny Choices Q&A: How do you dry your hands? | Tiny Choices

Tiny Choices Q&A: How do you dry your hands? | Tiny Choices — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:05:07 +0000

[...] I know what our friend Jesse would say! he would say bring a cloth napkin with you, and use it wherever you go! Actually, on my recent trip to Japan we had to bring handkerchiefs with us because there are not always dryers in the bathrooms. We would use them after washing our hands off, and the habit has stuck with me. [...]

By: Corduroy Orange » Blog Archive » Free Cloth napkin Offer—Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:36:35 +0000

[...] I like to reduce wasteful consumption in my life wherever I can. Even a small meal can burn through paper napkins quickly. That’s why I try to carry my own cloth napkin with me—my disposability factor drops substantially when I’m not wasting squares of paper by wiping my grubby paws on them. [...]

By: Cloth napkins? | tinychoices.com

Cloth napkins? | tinychoices.com — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:42:45 +0000

[...] As witnessed in the comments over on the “Easy Peasy Tip: Fork You!” post, ya’ll are totally punk-rock about the green thing. Jesse has a great post on his blog about dining sustainably when away from home, and he advocates carrying and using cloth napkins. Stacey told us that she uses cloth napkins at home, and then the very next day had already brought one into work to avoid using disposables there too– amazing and inspiring! [...]

By: kari

kari — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:34:22 +0000

http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/oh_no_here_come.html

I thought of you when I read this post!

By: david law

david law — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:25:01 +0000

I would have arranged to use the training center’s tableware and dishwashing facilities.

By: kari

kari — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 13:17:27 +0000

one of the interesting things in japan was how there weren’t usually paper towels or hand dryers in restrooms, so everyone carried around a little hanky to wipe their hands off after washing them. you can buy them in department stores and they’re very pretty!

sadly, this was offset by the millions of little plastic bags one got at the store. the worst part about not speaking japanese was not knowing how to avoid getting all those bags!

By: MIL

MIL — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 20:46:54 +0000

We reuse all of our plastic ware until it breaks or develops holes. We have been to dinners where everyone brings their own place setting. The clean up is much quicker and then we all enjoy each other’s company.

On a similar note…when Aurora was a Girl Scout, each of the troop members had to bring a bandanna. The useful cloth served many purposes throughout our forays into the “wilds” of North Carolina: napkin, pot holder, wash cloth, cooling “hat,” handkerchief, and sometimes first aid triangle for sprained ankles or elbow problems. I used to wear a knotted bandanna when I was teaching as an outfit accessories knowing that it might come in handy as for other means. I might start that practice again.

By: jwsharrard

jwsharrard — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:59:50 +0000

We have a huge Mardi Gras party every year, and we don’t have enough flatware to accommodate everyone, but with an event like that it’s tough to ask everyone to handle their own. So, we got some higher quality “disposable” pieces (that ought to be called “reusable”) that we are able to run through the dishwasher and save from year to year.

We always have enough cups for any occasion: Mardi Gras (& other NOLA) parades inevitably have go-cups as one of their throws, and we saved stacks of them through our several years in New Orleans.

For a smaller, sit-down occasion, though, I’d prefer to be asked to take my own plate than to throw away a plastic one… but I’d prefer not to have to throw anything away if I could avoid it.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:30:35 +0000

Hey there. You should absolutely write to the folks of the conference and suggest that they either use the facilty’s washing abilities or that they encourage a Bring Your Own Fork, Napkin and Cup policy the next time they run it and have the disposables not pre-packaged with the lunches but accessible for those who choose not to or forget. Waste is certainly part of the food system.

I was just thinking about entertaining. Oftentimes you don’t have enough forks, napkins, plates and the like and may wind up buying disposables to accomodate. Do you think it would work to ask folks to bring their own? If it’s small enough you can even mix them all up, allowing guests to choose the items they want, which can be a conversational piece. Either the hostess/host can wash them and return them the next time they see the guest, or folks can wash it and take it when they leave. What do you all think?