Going Green
Gathering with friends and food makes good memories — and doesn’t need to create waste. With careful planning for a summer event such as a picnic or block party, you may be able to save both time and money and eliminate the hassle of dealing with waste.
Let’s look at some ways to reduce and reuse before recycling or sending waste to a landfill. Not every tip will work each time or for each place and person. When I take one of these steps, I often get a positive comment or inspire others to try something different.
If possible, when attending a block party or picnic, bring the items you want to use, such as plates, utensils, cups, napkins, bowls, or other items, in a grocery or tote bag. Throw in a produce or bread bag for your used dishes. Put any food scraps (like corn cobs or watermelon rinds) in that bag, too. Yes, there’s a bit of effort to wash these items when you return home, as well as a few extra steps to put picnic food scraps in the compost cart. You must decide if it’s worth it to use less environmentally friendly paper plates and plastic forks. I find eating from a sturdy plastic plate with a durable fork is a more appealing experience.
If you’re hosting an event, consider offering sturdy plates and utensils instead of buying items that are disposed of after one use. To promote the collection of food scraps, set out a container, bucket (with or without lid), or even your green compost roll cart, and invite your guests to put food scraps there instead of into the garbage. To collect used dishes, place an empty tub in a convenient location for people to set them in. Guests may offer to help clean up, and some may be inspired by the small, yet impactful, steps you’ve taken to reduce waste.
Ideas, questions, or comments? Contact elizabeth.ann.erickson@gmail.com.
Liz Erickson has lived in the neighborhood with her husband and two children since 2009. Growing up in Beaverton, she remembers visiting grandparents on NE 42nd and walking to Rose’s Ice Cream for a scoop of butter brickle. She’s Master Recycler volunteer with the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and served in the Peace Corps in Morocco.