How the #rentacutlery movement is encouraging the use of reusable cutlery.
This article was published by Efforts For Good on August 13, 2019.
If your favourite ice cream store in Bangalore has been in the news recently, it’s not for their ice cream, but for their bowls. In June this year, Corner House launched the “Bring Your Own Bowl” initiative to avoid single-use cups and containers. Customers are requested to carry their own bowls for their orders as a part of this campaign.
A small scoop of ice cream or food for a large gathering, single-use cutlery and plates seem to be everywhere. Convenient to use and without the hassle of cleaning up later, it’s not surprising that their consumption has become a thoughtless act. We may have come up with ways and means to address food waste from our events, but what about the other waste we generate? If only there was a way around it. Well, how about looking into our own kitchens for inspiration and using reusable dinnerware?
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Across the country, citizen-driven initiatives have come up with cutlery and plate banks to give people the option to rent plates and cups for their events. Solid waste management expert Vani Murthy shared that the rental movement is the result of many individuals refusing single-use cutlery, carrying their personal glasses and spoons wherever they go. “We have been talking about these things for quite some time and implementing them in small ways. For example, when we had meetings to discuss waste management, we would carry our tumblers and spoons to the local eateries. People also consciously began talking about this, which brought about the BYOC or the ‘Bring Your Own Cup’ movement,” she said.
As awareness spread in pockets and rentals came into the picture, people in large apartment complexes invested in common dinner sets which could be used by the residents, said Murthy. “This really goes to show that small steps matter, even if it’s just you in the entire wedding hall using your own cutlery,” she added.
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While the idea seems simple and definitely worth trying, people working behind these initiatives will be quick to tell you that to bring change is not that easy. Rishita Sharma who started Rent-A-cutlery in Whitefield along with Lakshmi Sankaran said that when they began working on this concept in 2016, people were not too receptive about it. “We were waste management volunteers in Whitefield, and we used to go to schools and colleges to raise awareness about this topic. We saw that disposables were everywhere, and we realised that people needed an alternative if we were going to tell them to stop using disposables,” she said. When the duo suggested the idea to their community members, they found that people were willing to invest in common cutlery and plate sets, but the maintenance aspect was a concern for them. Sharma and Sankaran went ahead and purchased about 100 plates, cups and spoons between them, hoping to share them with their close friends. Not only have the number of plates increased at Rent-A-Cutlery today, people have joined the initiative by setting up branches in places across Bangalore. They also have a volunteer from Chennai who has set up a plate bank there. Rent-A-Cutlery goes one step ahead and uses only bio enzymes, prepared in-house, to clean the plates and cups.
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So how do we make this norm? The problem lies in the question itself, said P Natarajan of Namma Ooru Foundation who set up the Namma Cutlery Bank in Chennai, in March this year. “We have to go back to celebrating in an eco-friendly way. Rentals were normal. People would rent everything from tubelights, chairs, plates, cups and even the jugs used to serve water. Everything was cleaned and given back. There was no trash. The use and throw culture came in, and suddenly there is so much trash,” he said. In case you are wondering how much trash is generated then consider this – an average wedding with about 1000 people attending the event generates close to two truckloads of garbage, going straight to the landfill!
Namma Cutlery Bank has about 200 small plates, cups, spoons and glasses for small to medium-sized events. Natarajan points out that bagasse plates are more expensive than the stainless steel alternatives, and in the case of cutlery made with areca nut leaves, they need to be soaked after use to compost them. “Unless you take the necessary steps, purchasing and using these materials makes no sense,” he added.
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Just as with Rent-A-Cutlery, Namma Cutlery Bank was born from an organization working on solid waste management. While they do get requests, people who are already inclined to these concepts are the ones embracing them. Natarajan shared that awareness is vital to include more people in such activities.“ We completely rely on social media to spread the message,” he said. “We also promote the concept within communities we work with. We have a WhatsApp group where we share these ideas on a regular basis,” he added.
“This really goes to show that small steps matter, even if it’s just you in the entire wedding hall using your own cutlery.”- Vani Murthy
Rishita Sharma also agrees that people need to know about these options and the impact of their choices to consider going a different route. So far, Rent-A-Cutlery has reduced waste in over 200 events. Sharma also started the #byocselfie challenge along with her friends Seema Sharma and Padma Naveen. “When it comes to larger gatherings, people are still worried about the hygiene factor and about how others will perceive the fact they are serving food on rented stainless steel plates. But the only way to work around these concerns is to constantly share positive stories of how using rented cutlery reduces a significant amount of waste.”
So what are you waiting for? The next time you have an event or even a small get together, how about pooling in some plates from your neighbours or simply renting them. And when you rent a plate, make sure you share your story and inspire others to follow suit. Here are a few options to consider depending on where you are.
Adamya Chetana Plate Bank Bangalore
Faridabad Crockery Bank Faridabad
Crockery Bank For Everyone Gurgaon
Tashi Cutlery Bank Hyderabad
Lean Trash Pune
Rent-Eco-Cutlery Pune
Crockery Bank Vadodara Vadodara
Featured Image Courtesy: Pexels.com