This is the weekend that kicks off the summer party circuit. Get ready for great BBQ’s, lawn games, and warm weather. It’s also a time when we tend to have a casual attitude towards presentation and use paper plates and plastic cutlery. Luckily, we can now enjoy our relaxed standards but still utilize environmentally friendly options.
I just started using the TerraWare line of cutlery, which is biodegradable, at my office. I pack the used spoons and forks back into my lunch bag and drop them in my compost bin when I get home. The products are made from GMO free cornstarch resin, which is a sustainable resource. The package notes the cutlery will bio-degrade in 4-6 months. I’ll let you know if I still see spoons in my compost heap when winter begins.
A mainstream option is now available from Bare by Solo. Solo products are great for durability at a cookout, but their primary line is hard to recycle. The new Bare line includes environmentally focused products made from 20% recycled PET or compostable sugarcane (another renewable resource).
If you are packing a picnic, I like to wrap sandwiches in cloth napkins instead of plastic bags. Then you are prepared with a napkin or use it as a place mat. I also have my new ReSnackit bags I bought 3 months ago and I’m on the hunt for larger sizes to use at the beach this summer. For beverages, I pack two large thermos’s with water and pour it out into cups. I will certainly try out the compostable cups this summer instead of packing plastic water bottles.
Lastly, remember leave your space better than how you found it. Pack up all your trash, and if someone else left some behind, be a good eco-citizen and grab it. We all get paid back by keeping our beaches and parks clean.
More to come in decor suggestions for hosting a green party…
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Perfect timing for this post! Big cookouts over summer weekends always involve a lot of paper plates and plastic utensils. Your suggestion to use biodegradable cutlery is a great one. Hopefully, many people will read your blog and give this a try this year.
-Deb for Ecover
What great ideas to help us all become green. Thanks.
Mary
Stopping in from the Lady Bloggers tea party and am so happy that I did! I'm always looking for ways to reduce waste and you have so many great tips on your blog! Love the idea of biodegradable cutlery–I will definitely look out for those! Thanks, and hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day weekend 🙂