I attended a friend's baby shower this weekend honoring the upcoming arrival of a baby girl. It was a cheery, pink and chocolate affair where guests were served with disposable pink paper plates and plastic cups. Once lunch was finished, and guests started tossing their table settings, I put out a separate can for recycling beside the trash. Nobody seemed to catch the difference, so I set up camp taking plates and cups to put in the recycling bin. However, my efforts were thwarted by one of the grandma-to-bes who said "I shouldn't worry about it" and took my little recycling attempt and threw it in the garbage. I was completed deflated. It seemed like such a pointless waste of natural resources (virgin trees which take 25 years to grow) for a party that lasted just a few hours.
Which got me to thinking how for many people recycling is now accepted as a part of daily life, yet large events, which produce enormous amounts of landfill waste, still get overlooked. I have discovered some sustainable solutions for those occasions where disposable products are absolutely necessary (and let's face it - sometimes they are).
These biodegradable (and compostable) plates from The Green Office are made from sugar cane fiber, the waste that is usually tossed after the sugar is extracted. And for only $7.50 for 125 plates it is an incredible steal!Or these 100% recycled plastic plates
Or these clear "plastic" cups that are actually made from compostable corn. I never realized clear plastic was made from coal and do not biodegrade.
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