PLASTIC CUTLERY AND DRINKING STRAWS

With the prospect of sunnier warmer days ahead at last you may feel like taking your lunch break in a park or beside the lake or heading off for a picnic with family or friends at the weekend.  It would be good to avoid using disposable plastic cutlery and straws as they are among the worst plastic pollution culprits.  Why not carry your own cutlery with you or keep a set in the car. There are lots of options available in different price categories and made of bamboo, wood or metal.  Many are sold as sets in a bag for easy and clean transport.  Most can be reused over and over again.  Suppliers can be found if you look on Google under ‘reusable picnic cutlery’. One example I’ve come across is made in Vietnam from jackfruit wood and is on sale in fair-trade shops such as the Magasin du Monde in Nyon and elsewhere. It’s beautifully hand-crafted and elegant, but a bit expensive at about 25.00 CHF … it would make a lovely present! 

Several alternatives to plastic drinking straws are now available, including the old-fashioned paper straw, but preferably reusable bamboo or metal straws.  These usually come supplied with a mini-brush to simplify cleaning.