I happened to walk by a display of paper straws in the dollar store. I bought a box to stash in my car. I'm not-so-good at remembering to refuse the plastic straw when it's thrust at me from the drive-thru window with my soda. When I remember, my brain rolls into thought about the plastic top that's still on my soda cup. Or, forbid! The entire cup is plastic! Refusing a straw does seem like a slightly pathetic gesture.
However, the silly straw debate got my brain rolling about other plastics I use. I regularly buy plastic spoons. I toss two spoons a day, after feeding cats who are not in the house (I use standard stainless spoons in the house). Why don't I wash these plastic spoons, and use them again and again? They are perfectly good. I have to wash and recycle cat food cans anyway. I've also been better about remembering to bring my reusable bags from the car when I go to the store.
Today, as I picked up cat litter at Walmart, I saw a display of Mainstays plastic dishes. 50 cents a plate. Nice and flat, with just a slight brim, sort of like a...paper plate. I used paper plates for ALL of my cats for their wet food. Lots and lots of paper plates. I probably spend (or donors do), a few hundred dollars a year on paper plates. One big stack is around $6.99--the same cost as 14 of these unbreakable permanent plates. Why don't I just buy these plates and wash them, instead of wasting paper, I wondered? I currently use some of my used paper plates to start fires in my wood stove, but I never use them all. The messiest ones end up in the trash.
The straw ban isn't about the straws in Western countries. It about starting a conversation. What can we do without? What habits can we change? The silly straw ban got me to wash and reuse my plastic spoons, finally start hauling my reusable bags into the store so I don't bring home more plastic or paper, and replace those piles and piles of paper plates with permanent ones.
Balloon launches are slowly being banned as well. We are slowly realizing that there are just some things we don't really need, no matter how pretty or convenient they are.
I do kind of wonder what will happen to all that other plastic dishware in Walmart. Will other people use and reuse them, as I am? Or will they pick it up because of the pretty colors (they have a range--teal, purple etc.) and toss them all after the holidays?
I don't have the answers. But paper plates won't be on my wish list for the Owl House kitties this Christmas. Thank you to everyone who kept me supplied all these years!
Yes the straw ban is silly, but it got me to thinking too, about what I don't need. Now I use the wood pellet fuel plastic bags in my trash can instead of buying rolls of them to line it with. (I use wood pellet fuel for litter, has no additives, could be composted too and I'm allergic to the dust in clay and clumping litter).
ReplyDeleteYup, everyone is thinking these days including me.
ReplyDeleteI might suggest a metal spoon if you are going to wash them. They don't break and will last forever.Get them at thrift stores ;)
I'm also trying to do my part to help our planet.
The cats? Well, they just want food and belly rubs :)