This year, I’m trying to cut down on my plastic consumption even more — and that includes bioplastics. But why not use disposable items if they’re recyclable or biodegradable? First of all, it still takes energy and resources to make those things. As far as plastics go, only 9% make it to the recycling plant, and the recycling process is not easy nor pretty. The factories — many of them small operations — sicken the communities where they’re located. I’m willing to bet that they disproportionately affect low-income communities.
In recent years, we’ve seen a proliferation of other options, such as biodegradable plastics and bioplastics, which, by they way, are not the same thing. Confused by the terms? You’re not the only one. But this isn’t ideal either. Biodegradable plastics are still made out of petroleum like regular plastic. They just have an additive that makes them break down more quickly. I don’t see how this is a good thing as it means tiny pieces of plastic get into the environment.
“Biobased” means the item is made out of organic material, but that doesn’t mean that you can throw it in the compost bin. When I asked my local waste management company here in San Francisco — a city with an aggressive recycling and composting program and a zero waste goal —about it, they told me that only items that are labeled “compostable” should go in the compost bin. And by compost bin, I mean stuff that goes to an industrial facility. I’m not talking about a backyard compost heap. (An aside here: I wish every city had a compost program like San Francisco. Farms buy the compost and the waste management rep said that they can’t keep up with the demand!)
The other items, even if they’re plant-based, go in the trash and to the landfill, where like other organic material, they release methane gas, a greenhouse gas. The best thing to do, the waste management rep told me, is to reduce and reuse first. That saying, “Reduce, reuse, recycle” — in that order — is the truth.
I’ve already written about some of the ways I’ve cut down on disposable plastics: carrying reusable shopping bags (my favorite kind reviewed here), switching to reusable produce bags when buying groceries, and bringing my own water bottle and travel coffee mug (this is what I use). It’s nothing revolutionary or new. There’s one more thing that’s part of my EDC (every day carry) that I haven’t mentioned yet and that is my spork. (Actually, two sporks.) A friend gifted my first spork to me and I realized recently that I’ve had it for 10 years now! So, I thought it was time to pay tribute to the spork with a post.
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Snow Peak Titanium Spork – $9.95
Not Just Any Spork, But a Titanium One
Why a spork? Well, to be honest, I actually don’t like having to carry a lot of stuff on me. So I appreciate anything that’s lightweight and takes up less space. A spork, of course, is a little bit spoon, a little bit fork, so it takes care of two utensils. (I don’t carry a knife as I find that I rarely need to use one.) But isn’t a spork just a mediocre spoon and a mediocre fork, you might ask? Well, I guess if you want to be negative about it, sure. But I think it’s a handy compromise. I’ve enjoyed soup with it. I’ve eaten salads with it. And I’ve shoveled rice and beans into my face with it.
I highly recommend this particular spork by the Japanese outdoors company Snow Peak. It’s made out of titanium so it’s lightweight and made to last. They manufacture it in Japan. Like I said, I’ve had my first spork from them for 10 years and it’s still going strong. I got a second one for my spouse to use. (The sporks nest nicely.) Then I got two more. That way, when we’ve used the sporks, I put the dirty ones in the sink to wash as soon as I get home. Then I pull out the pair of clean sporks and put them in my bag immediately so that I am never spork-less.
The Snow Peak sporks come in four colors — but not with a carrying case. I looked around a bit before I found something that worked for me and that thing is a inexpensive plastic pencil case. When I finish eating, I wipe the sporks and put them back in the carrying case. I don’t own any of the colored ones, so I can’t personally speak to how well they hold up, but I’ve read that the color fades over time.
I frequent a farmers market every weekend not only for produce, but for a meal from a food stall. My spouse and I probably eat there about 40 times a year. Over 10 years, that’s 800 disposable utensils we didn’t use. I also use my spork when I travel, at food trucks and food courts, and at social gatherings where the host has put out disposables.
Other options exist, of course, when it comes to titanium sporks. Toaks, Vargo, and Sea to Summit all make one. Light My Fire makes a utensil they call a spork that’s a spoon on one side and fork on the other. (But I don’t consider it a true spork.) Perhaps you get more functionality out of each side, but it also seems like it might be awkward to hold. Not to be outdone, UCO and Outsmart both make a three-in-one utensil that’s supposed to work as a spoon, knife, and fork.
I haven’t tried those other sporks, but I don’t have any desire to. I love my Snow Peak sporks. They’re smooth, comfortable to use, lightweight, durable, and easy to clean. I also think they’re the most attractive of the bunch. It seems like whoever designed them put a lot of thought into them. I think they’re kind of perfect objects.
If you prefer a traditional cutlery set, Snow Peak makes a full set (also out of titanium) with a knife, spoon, and fork. But I’m sticking to my sporks!
