Zero Waste Silverware Kit

Plastic silverware and straws are the bane of my existence. It uses a tremendous amount of resources to produce, package, and deliver the silverware to you. Then you use it for one meal and it goes to the landfill where it takes at least decades, but likely hundreds of years to decompose. The crazy thing is that you find them everywhere. The cafeteria at work, the fast food restaurant, a sit down restaurant, a fair or festival, a food truck, church, a potluck, a party, just about anywhere that food is served there is a high possibility that plastic silverware is lurking. Straws are even worse! Most restaurants that use metal silverware will still provide straws. I have noticed that the prevalence of straw usage varies by region in the United States. In the Northwest we are rarely given straws, but in the South you'd be hard pressed to find a restaurant that doesn't give you a straw with your beverage. So what is the solution to avoiding all of these plastic flatware? Bring your own utensils! I almost always am carrying a zero waste silverware kit now. Now my European friends have made fun of me for calling it silverware or flatware. So yes, I'm talking about cutlery. The utensils you use to eat with. These are all options for zero waste cutlery kits. Pin for later: Here are four main options (with several ideas within each option!) for having your own zero waste cutlery to avoid having to use plastic. The Amazon links are affiliate links, which means if you click the link, I may receive a commission, but don't worry the price to you remains unchanged. 1. Metal Silverware in a pouch I purchased this kit off of Amazon. It has a spoon, fork and knife in a neoprene travel case. The knife in the kit is VERY sharp and pointed. You would have no problems cutting anything you wanted with it. The silverware also fits nicely in the pouch so it is pretty compact. There are other versions that have chopsticks, straws, or even a bottle opener in addition to the silverware. So there are several different options for what you want for travel utensils in a case. 2. Bamboo silverware Bamboo is a great alternative to metal. I love that this one has colors on them. It's a fun decoration, but you could also get different colors for different people. They have blue, red and green. That set doesn't come with a carrying case, but this one does. 3. Of course you can always make your own. When my mom gave me this adorable Vera Bradly Pencil Bag by my mom for Christmas and I immediately knew I was going to turn it into a zero waste silverware kit. Just about any pencil case or small satchel could become a reusable cutlery pouch. I'm partial to this one because it is fabric so it could be washed and it is beautiful! A fork, knife and spoon easily fit in it. The straw I had was a little long, but Hubby was able to cut it down to size and now it fits perfectly too. Since it was meant to be carried, it easily fits in my purse. I usually keep a reusable napkin in there too. As you may recall one of my New Year's resolutions is to take my lunch at least twice a week. So I make sure to throw whatever silverware I'm going to need to eat the meal in the bag with me. I do want to give a little warning to you. Do not take the knives from any of these kits with you when traveling by airplane. Twice I have lost knives going through security. I keep my zero waste silverware kit in my purse at all times and don't think about it. Well twice I have had my knife taken away. The first time I had an ultra sharp, pointy serrated knife so I sort of understood. The second time however, it was essentially a butter knife. It wouldn't hardly cut anything let alone harm anyone. So just remember when traveling to either leave the knife at home, stash it in your checked bag, or opt for bamboo. Bamboo doesn't show up on x-ray machines! Update: 4. Sporks Immediately after I published this I got questions why I didn't include sporks..so I updated this. Sporks are a great space saver! There are ones like this which have a spoon on one side and a fork on the other. It even has a sharp edge which an be used to cut. This brand also has several which are made with BPA-free Tritan and come in different sizes and even have a left handed spork! Then there are some that resemble the plastic spork I had in elementary school that is a spoon with little tines. So yes, sporks are a great way to cut down on what you are carrying. What sort of silverware kit do you have? Have you made these 5 simple swaps for the bathroom? Looking for more tips to create less waste while traveling? Check out these less waste travel tips!