To save money and protect the environment, many people and even some responsible companies are reducing their plastic usage. However, other brands have unfortunately doubled their plastic usage. A Puerto Rican Redditor recently shared a frustrating example.
What happens?
The post appeared in r/Anticonsumption, a subreddit dedicated to reducing waste. “This restaurant I go to only has plastic cutlery, whether you eat in or not,” said the original author.
They attached a photo of the problem, which shows a waffle with fries, eggs, and a rich sauce. The restaurant served the food on a regular, reusable plate, but gave the OP a black plastic fork instead of a metal one.
Why is a plastic fork important?
For one thing, plastic forks have to be replaced after each use, which costs more than washing metal forks, especially if the store already has a dishwasher for the larger plates. This small additional cost is added to the price of your meal. If the store cuts corners elsewhere, prices can be even higher.
More importantly, this restaurant sends mountains of plastic forks to landfills every year. Plastic takes decades, a century, or even longer to decompose, releasing microplastics that can contaminate soil and water.
Why might the restaurant do this?
The use of disposable cutlery may be an attempt to reduce the amount of work involved in washing and sorting conventional silver cutlery and thus ultimately also the cost and time required.
However, the costs of reusable products have been weighed up against disposable products many times and according to Restaurantware, reusable products perform best.
Owners often overlook the increased waste disposal costs associated with disposing of so many plastic forks. Not to mention that disposable forks still need to be separated from other tableware and disposed of, negating any labor savings.
If this restaurant really wanted to switch to disposable tableware, they could have chosen an eco-friendly option like bamboo cutlery.
What can I do about plastic waste?
“To clarify, I’ve only been there twice,” the OP said in a comment. “The first time I thought it was a one-time thing because it would be crazy if it wasn’t. The second time I realized they just do this all the time. I’m not coming back.”
Like the original poster, everyone has a choice about which businesses they want to support. You can avoid businesses with environmentally harmful practices like this restaurant and support eco-friendly initiatives where you find them.
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