zerowaste

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Discussing ways to reduce waste and build community!

Celebrate thrift as a virtue, talk about creative ways to make do, or show off how you reused something!

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Compostable dishes vs washing dishes (slrpnk.net)

submitted 6 days ago by RideAgainstTheLizard@slrpnk.net to c/zerowaste@slrpnk.net

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Many cafés and fast food places these days provide disposable dishes and cutlery when you're eating in. This used to infuriate me, but it seems to be improving slightly now as the trend has moved towards using compostable dishes instead of plastic ones.

However, it's still waste. It makes me wonder, what is more costly in the long run? Providing customers with compostable items or running hot dishwashers and using soap and water all day to reuse dishes?

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[–] RideAgainstTheLizard@slrpnk.net 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Would this be a point in favour of washing dishes then? It results in more employment, but is this considered a win for the environment in this context?

[–] Alexstarfire@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Something else to keep in mind is breakage. Don't think the compostable stuff breaks all that often but reusable stuff in restaurants sure does.

[–] RideAgainstTheLizard@slrpnk.net 1 points 5 days ago

True. In the grand scheme of things, everything is destined to become waste eventually, all we can do is hope that it is useful waste and aim to slow its flow. I guess if compostable waste is more clean than ceramic/metal/glass waste, that is a point in it's favour, but maybe those materials can be cleanly recycled with proper care/planning?