Plastic production and use creates problems for people, animals, and the environment – even contributing to climate change. If current rates continue, plastic production will account for 20% of the world’s oil consumption by 2050. Much of this plastic waste comes from single-use items like straws, packaging, plastic bags, styrofoam, and to-go cutlery, which are used for just a few minutes and then tossed away.
Unfortunately, “there is no away,” and these items either languish in landfills for hundreds of years or wind up as litter – which eventually makes its way to the ocean, harming sea creatures who eat the microplastic particles and enters our food chain. According to the United Nations Environment Program, a stunning 89% of the plastic found in the ocean comes from single-use items.
You can reduce your single-use plastic use by replacing these common plastic items with reusable alternatives. Bring your own reusable bag to the grocery store, carry a reusable bottle for water, refuse to use styrofoam, and avoid straws and plastic resuable cutlery by bringing your own. You can purchase handy-dandy reusable cutlery from the GDA here to begin reducing your use today. Remember, plastic cutlery can never be recycled due to it’s small size.
Reusable bamboo cutlery can eliminate single-use plastic waste in your life!
Another way to avoid single-use plastic is to be sure to dine at GDA Certified restaurants. GDA restaraunts never use styrofoam and many don’t use plastic straws! There is even a growing list of GDA Certified restaurants that don’t give out single-use plastic cutlery with their to-go meals – they either use a more expensive compostable option (which is made from plants – a renewable resource), or they don’t hand out to-go cutlery at all.
Here’s a handy list of GDA restaurants that have chosen to purchase more sustainable, compostable cutlery:
Winslow’s Home
Milque Toast Bar
Clementine’s
The Crow’s Nest
Seedz
Kitchen House Coffee
Ibby’s (on request)
Bombay Food Junkies
The Wolf
Principia College
Kounter Kulture
Urban Chestnut
Snarf’s on Skinker (for catering)
Seed Sprout Spoon
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Lulu’s Local Eatery
Guido’s
Whittemore House (take away box dinners only)
The Dam
Larder and Cupboard
Ferguson Brewing Co
Lakeside Cafe and Cafe Kudu
Whisk
The Picnic Basket Cafe at the Magic House
Bailey’s Restaurants (catering on request)
If you’d like to help the GDA in our mission to help make St. Louis more sustainable, join the Green Dining Club today! You’ll get discounts at select GDA restaurants, you’ll receive a set of reusable bamboo cutlery, and you’ll get restaurant news and updates from the GDA! Click here to sign up!
