Welcome back to another episode of my 2019 plastic free-ish challenge. In this episode, I’m going to be going through what I used as a plastic cutlery alternative. This swap was a little tricky for me because I don’t eat out very often. I started earlier in the year to get as much practice to be able to put a useful post together and I’m glad I did. As you’ll find out, my first swap wasn’t the best idea for me and I since found what I think is a better solution for the majority of people. I hope this can help you if you’re trying to make some plastic free-ish changes.
Plastic Cutlery Alternative For Travel – Plastic Free-ish Challenge #7
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Option #1 – best for road trips/home/out and about
The first piece of advice I got was to use a knife, fork, and spoon from home or pick up a set from a thrift store. You can take this with you when you travel or just when you are out and about.
It sounded like a great idea, but if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t have done this and I would’ve gone straight for the second option I’m sharing in this post.
I’m sharing it here though because if you primarily do road trips or use disposable cutlery for takeaway when you’re at home, it’s a great alternative.
This is the first plastic cutlery alternative I tried – cutlery from home and holders from Da Zero Boutique. The napkins are a bamboo towel from home that I cut in half.
It could also be a good option if you will be flying and checking a bag. If you travel with carry on luggage only, I don’t recommend it because taking a knife on the plane isn’t very popular with airport security (and I know from experience!) This is why it’s not the best option for me personally and I ended up having to buy a second set anyway.
I got a super cute handmade pouch for my knife and fork set from a local supplier called Da Zero Boutique. You could look for a local supplier near you, search on Amazon for something like this one
or find similar things on Etsy.
Option #2 – best for air travel
Buy a set of bamboo cutlery.
A set of bamboo cutlery is more likely to be allowed through airport security which makes it a good idea for air travel, particularly if you travel with carry on luggage.
You can probably find a set locally and, if not, there are a lot of options on Amazon – this is where I got mine and it was only about $11. A lot will come with their own travel pouch like this one
.
I think this is the best option because then you have the option to travel with it as well as use it at home or on road trips.
Option #3 – best for parties, barbeques, & gatherings
The other options are good for traveling, but what will you do if you’re hosting a birthday party or work function at home?
The solution? Buy a bag of bamboo disposable cutlery. You should be able to find it locally and, again if not, there are a lot of options on Amazon like these
.
Problems with using eco-friendly cutlery
The main issue I’ve noticed about using eco-friendly cutlery is cleaning it after use because there is not always a sink or place to rinse off your cutlery nearby.
This is why I think it’s good to have a pouch or some sort of container to carry it in. That way you can put your cutlery in the pouch after you use it, then clean it when you’re back at your hotel room. If you remember my post on unpaper towels, I also keep one of those in my pouch with the cutlery so I can dry them off with that.
The only other issue I’ve encountered is the same as with many of these changes like plastic bags and water bottles, and that is remembering to bring it. There have definitely been times when I’ve had a spontaneous moment of getting takeout food but didn’t have the cutlery with me.
I’ve found that leaving a set in the car helps with this because then if I end up being out longer than expected and stop for food I’m prepared.
For travel, just keeping the set in your day bag will keep you prepared.
Since I bought the pouch and metal knife set first, I leave this one in my car and keep the bamboo set in my travel bag.
Budget progress
In total this month I only spent $24 so swapping to a plastic cutlery alternative is fairly cheap.
I still have $341.21 left in the yearly budget.
Unlike changes like reusable puppy pads or paper towels, this swap isn’t going to save you any money. Most times when you go out and use plastic cutlery it is free.
This one’s for the planet not for saving money and this one will just cost you the amount for whichever reusable set you choose.
Overall thoughts on giving up plastic cutlery
It’s a difficult one for me to measure because I don’t use plastic cutlery very often. In hindsight, I wish I had bought the bamboo set first because then I would have spent half the money this month and had something I could use for all outings.
But, it’s also good to have one that is left in the car so I don’t have to worry about not having it, so there was a silver lining.
I think that swapping to a plastic cutlery alternative is very simple, cheap, and easy to do so it’s something that even us casual users can get behind.
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