It seems like the idea of bamboo as a renewable resource has been sufficiently ground into our brains. Products from virgin trees, bad. Bamboo products, good. But is this enough? While paying attention to source is important, we should also be be thinking about what happens to the things we buy after we’re done with them.
Think of the last time you saw disposable bamboo tableware. Every time I go into my local Whole Foods, it feels like the assortment has grown, and I wonder if they multiply after hours like a bunch of wooden guppies. The disposable utensils from Bambu seem to be especially prolific. These utensils look nifty, sure, but I’ve always wondered why you would just throw them away. Does the bamboo have an attitude problem? Does it talk back when you spear that first bite of your lunch? Does it make you feel guilty for eating dessert? It must be offensive somehow, to deserve such a short life span.
So here’s a very inoffensive alternative: bamboo utensils from To-Go Ware. Each set comes with the standard set of three utensils, as well as a set of chopsticks. They’re finished with food-safe wood oil, and they don’t flavor your food or absorb flavors from it. You may find the holding case to be a bit crafty-looking, and that’s because it comes from a women’s co-op on the Thai-Burma border. The purchase of these holders helps to support these Burmese refugee women, so you can feel good about the carrying case as well as what’s inside.
Another reason to choose To-Go Ware is the price. I looked at Sur la Table’s website, where you can buy a set of 12 place settings from Bambu for about $25. And every time you use them, they are thrown away. The utensils from To-Go Ware will cost you about $20, and you can keep them as long as you want. This strikes me as a better deal for the environment as well as your checkbook.
The choice is clear, really. Buy To-Go Ware for a good price, keep perfectly good bamboo out of the trash, support the women’s co-op on the Burmese/Thai border, and feel good about it. This is what living sustainably is all about.
{ 0 comments… add one now }