How bringing your own cutlery helps solve the plastic crisis

&#;You would come with a little carry case, and it would be your own personal knife and spoon,&#; says Sarah Coffin, who curated the exhibit Feeding Desire: Design and the Tools of the Table, - at the Cooper Hewitt design museum in New York.

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Toting your own eating implements was not only a logistical must&#;none were usually provided&#;but also helped avoid illness. &#;If you come with your own,&#; explains Coffin, &#;you don't have to worry about someone else's germs in your soup.&#; What you ate with, she said, was also a status symbol of sorts. &#;It was a little like a pocket watch.&#;

National Geographic is committed to reducing plastics pollution. Learn more about our non-profit activities at natgeo.org/plastics . Learn what you can do to reduce your own single-use plastics, and take your pledge.

Cutlery for the masses was commonly made of wood, stone, or shells. More ornate sets could be made of gold or ivory, or even be collapsible for traveling light. By the early s sleek and rust-resistant stainless steel started to make an appearance. By World War II, an even newer material had worked its way into the cutlery mix: plastic.

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&#;Disposable kings&#;

At first, plastic cutlery was considered reusable. Chris Witmore, a professor in archaeology and classics at Texas Tech University, remembers his grandmother washing her plastic tableware. But as the post-war economy boomed, the frugal habits instilled by the Great Depression and an agrarian history faded.

&#;After the mid-twentieth century overabundance comes to define how the majority live,&#; says Whitmore. That, he says, gave rise to a &#;throw-away culture.&#;

How We Found The Most Eco-Friendly Silverware & Cutlery

As we&#;ve done with some of our other sustainable kitchen products (like the safest food storage containers and non-toxic cookware)  we referred to our sustainable and ethical criteria to ensure our dinner tables and counters wear only the best.

While eco-friendly dinnerware obviously isn&#;t something to be worn, it faces the same issues that typically accompany fashion, which is why we looked for the following in the best sustainable utensils.

Materials:

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What is sustainable cutlery made of?

It&#;s pretty simple: anything that&#;s not plastic. 

Bamboo is ideal for reusable and sustainable travel cutlery because it&#;s so lightweight (and won&#;t set off the metal detector at TSA either!). Bamboo is also one of the world&#;s fastest-growing, most carbon-consumptive plants.

There are other types of wooden cutlery, too. As long as they&#;re sustainably sourced (i.e. a byproduct of another industry or from a species of tree that&#;s sustainably grown) then we&#;re okay inviting them for brunch. 

For metal eco-friendly flatware, stainless steel is the top choice because it&#;s durable, corrosion-resistant, and recyclable. Plus, most sustainable steel products contain 60% recycled materials and are again recyclable utensils at the end of their life.

Silver-plated utensils come with social and environmental concerns (namely mining impact and child labor)&#;which is why vintage or recycled is the way to go here. It also makes them some of the most environmentally-friendly utensils there are. 

If you&#;re looking for eco-friendly disposable cutlery, look for plant-based bioplastics and anything else that makes for certified compostable utensils.

Supply chain & labor practices:

We like knowing where and under what conditions items are made, and for brands that don&#;t give us too much to scoop up, we reach out and ask for seconds.

Carbon commitments & green practices:

We look for carbon offset programs, practices that reduce shipping emissions like localized supply chains, and eco-friendly packaging. 

Community & charitable giving:

Meals taste better together&#;and that includes together in the global community sense knowing your purchase helps supports others somewhere.

Final Thoughts On Eco Cutlery

Next time you&#;re faced with a fork in the road make sure it&#;s an eco-friendly one!

While investing in a compact to-go set is a crucial part of building your zero waste kit, try to avoid replacing your home silverware unless you need to.

Cutlery seldom gets a second life and so most often lands up in, well&#;a landfill. 

Our final word of advice is simple&#;avoid plastic. If it means carrying around a reusable cutlery kit, do it. They don&#;t take up much space in your sustainable handbag or briefcase. 

Well, have a knife day, and feel free to share this with a friend on the lookout for sustainable cutlery sets.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of compostable knife wholesaler. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.