Greenwashing vs. Dishwashing

As the Adirondack Green Circle was planning the recent Farm 2 Fork Festival held in Saranac Lake (September 4^th), we wanted to keep the event as “green” as possible,. We tried to find ways to keep our veggie sample containers, Locavore Grill plates, and all other materials out of the long-term waste stream. That meant using paper for serving up the food and avoiding plastic, but what do you use to get those beets into your mouth?! One option that was explored was buying compostable forks and spoons that someone could just “process” in her home compost pile. Great (if pricey) solution, right?

It turns out that the “compostable” part of such forks and spoons appears to be a marketing scam aimed at ecofriendly types, a.k.a. greenwashing. An informal study done in San Francisco of such forks and spoons that had been through the city’s commercial compost operation (composted for 60-90 days at high temperatures) showed that they were not only recognizable in their original form but you could probably just wash them off and use them over and over. (See detatils at Fake Plastic Fish.) It seems beyond anyone’s wildest imaginings that anyone’s backyard compost pile could even approach breaking this stuff down. Turns out there is a little cyberuniverse out there discussing this issue, and there are lots of ideas. See what WholeFoods has to say: link.

Pictured above is our solution to this dilemma. The Green Circle bought a load of old flatware, from a local thrift store and the senior center. (And we asked folks to bring their own forks with them next time.) Buckets were put out for depositing the used utensils, and a Green Circle member (thanks, Susan!!!) took them home and ran them through her dishwasher. Someone will surely criticize using the dishwasher, but a lot of people told us they liked this simple, green, forward-thinking solution. And maybe next time folks really will bring their own forks.