I actually had to go (almost) plastic-free because the fumes make me sick. so I am happy to find this website. Keep up the good work.

Oh wow, I want one of these in my area. Although I agree, it would be nice if there wasn't anything even going to compost but I do have to say this is a really impressive fast food restaurant. If all fast food restaurants had all of their waste go to compost, I am sure the landfills would be smaller.

what if there was a hot-line called Mickey-Ds anonymous?? …when the urge strikes you just call in….and they'd keep you from committing McDonalds suicide!!

Rosa: I live in NYC. I think it's disgusting to drink out of a public bathroom sink, let alone one in NYC. Also, most places here don't have water fountains. It's not like in surburbia where I can walk the corridor of my mall and get a drink.

Wow, Lara, that's gutsy.

I usually find a drinking fountain if we're out & about without a bottle of water – or, barring that, anyplace with public bathrooms will have a sink where you can cup your hands & get water from the faucet to drink.

Beth, I was afraid to read your post because I hold you in such high regard – my Saint Beth of the Non Plastic Sisterhood – that I was afraid my image of you would be ruined.

I have to say it is not ruined. You are so devoted, so incredible, such an inspiration – but I still say if you had kids it would be a different story unless you moved to a commune or sent them to a Waldorf School or something!

Anyway, now that the REST of us have red faces from bearing our eco-sins, can you forgive us, Sister Beth?

Ivy,
when I'm really thirsty and don't have my own bottle, I just enter a restaurant or similar place and ask for a glass of water. Who could deny you a glass of water? Depending on the type of place you're in, they might give you a glass cup or a disposable one. So it's better to ask this in a place where they don't use disposables. Even if you get a plastic cup, though, it's less wasteful than a water bottle because it's filled with tap water.
Of course, you'll have to stay in the restaurant until you've finished your water, so as to return the glass. But if you're not really shy, you won't have an issue with that, right?
I've never had any problems with this, give it a try!

One could go into serious place envy reading your confessions, Beth — except for McD's and BK, those are ones I can pretty much easily avoid.
Small primarily takeout businesses, especially family-run shoestring operations, are really in a bind. The ethnic ones I patronize are already minimally staffed. Most of their customers want their food packaged, and they are set up to deal with trash (compost for the more enlightened). In the right location, maybe someone could make a business of converting these businesses to less plastic if the price was right and the composting options were available.
Ivy, re people with reusable bags filled with shopping bags, me I'm one of them. Because not all plastic shopping bags are recyclable here and they have a long life, because sometimes they are unavoidable or impractical to avoid, and because it makes shopping easier to have plastic bags to hold drippy stuff, wet/dirty stuff, and having a plastic bag to reuse may prevent me from getting a new plastic bag. Or (it just occurred to me) maybe you are talking about people filling up their reuseable bag with new shopping bags filled with new products?

I was just wondering what you do in this situation. I was out shopping all afternoon and I left my Kleen Kanteen at home. I was dying of thirst (not to mention that dehydration triggers my migraines) and I bought a plastic bottle of water. I felt so wasteful. I felt even more wasteful when I threw it away in store w.o thinking about refilling it in one of their water fountains. What do other FPF readers do in this situation? I think I am going to purchase a 12 ounce Kleen Kanteen and keep it in my bag for emergencies.

Also, what is up w. shoppers who have ecofriendly bags but, the bag is filled w. plastic shopping bags from different stores? I just don't get it.

I saw so many bags that could be reused for other customers being thrown away. I worked in a bookstore about 10 years ago, and I always asked if the customer needed a bag or not. Sometimes, I would hand them their purchase and tell them to tuck into as shopping bag they already head.

–Ivy

That veggie burger sounds like something I could feed on exclusively! Please send me a ton of them to Argentina– and I don't care how much fuel is used to ship it here ok?!

You're great, and your tiny eco-sins are just what it takes for the rest of the world to see you as a human being and not an overobsessive crazy "eco-nun" (great concept by Emily!), who would be a lot less loveable!!
I think time will come when someone will create Beth Terry's fan club, and I'll join it for sure :-)

Actually, now that you mention it, I often forget to bring my own take-out containers when I dine out. Thanks for the reminder!

Looked into those corn compostable things when I was planning my daughter's wedding reception (held end of last month). They sounded good at first until you research them and find out that perfectly good trees are being felled to provide land to plant corn for the disposables and … it gets worse. Reusable ended up my plan until the plates didn't arrive on time and we had to substitute something less desirable.

I'm impressed, though, that someone is blogging about healthy food versus (what I consider to be) unhealthy food made from scratch at home. <– This week's beef from me.

I'm sorry you felt so bad about this – to me, it looks like a triumph.

Often, we have things we want to do or not do and our goals are completely thwarted by our surroundings.

You live in a place that has a better option when you get that McDonald's craving – and you support them with your dollars and publicity.

That's the kind of world that supports change toward the better, and you're helping build it.

Ruth, I bet your story is party bad design – when a restaurant/cafeteria switches to non-disposables, it's important to change things around physically and visually to short-circuit people's trained habits of throwing everything away. I learned this from a friend who had to be taught what was compostable. I thought it was self evident, but she was a smart girl and just didn't have the gardening or chemistry background that makes it intuitive.

In response to your musings about restaurants providing permanent flatware and plates:

About ten years ago, the high school I now attend tried to implement this, providing permanent plastic plates and cups and metal flatware. It's a school of about 1,500 students, so implementing this was expensive. Heartbreakingly, all of it had been thrown away by students after three months. Now everything is styrofoam. Sometimes the public discourages all positive change.

I am so glad you had a veggie burger even if there was some (compostable) waste involved with it.

I've read your blog for a while and I don't know how to put this without sounding like a jerk but it surprises me that someone who is so principled and dedicated to protecting the environment and sea creatures from the evils of plastic could still eat any animals. I was really touched by the video you did for Oprah where you talked about the pelican full of plastic and how when you saw it you thought about how could you be part of causing another creatures suffering ? I wish more people would think that way and truly examine the consequences of their consumption choices.

Yet at the same time, I thought if this woman can feel this way about the suffering of a pelican how can she be part of a system, by purchasing and consuming, that causes immense suffering to chickens and cows? Especially when she lives in one of the most vegetarian/vegan friendly areas on the planet!

I grew up lucky – there was no fast food place near enough to tempt. I had KFC when I was 18 and wasn't impressed. Too salty mostly. McD I tried a cheeseburger at a birthday party and it was so awful I've never gone there again.

I do get local burgers occasionally with local fish and chips and thats quite sufficient. They use local ingredients too and wrap everything in paper (traditional round here).

My big downfall is chocolate. Dark, beautiful chocolate – I can see it calling my name right now! I just got a job in the local shop too. Not my best move but I need the work. Sometimes I think life has it in for me :)

viv in nz

"Refuse" is the first "R."

Brilliant!! I love it. "The Four R's"…

I always feel strongly that we should put our money where the most good is happening. It seems like that Amandas is doing a lot to make a difference.
I was thinking the other day that you really don't cut yourself any slack at all but then people expect an environmental spokesperson to be an 'Eco Nun' almost unrealistically so.
I have that unreasonable love of McDonalds food – and it grew stronger while I was pregnant with both my girls… when I grew up McDonalds was a special occasion though – and exciting place to go as a kid. (o;

First, Amanda's looks absolutely amazing.

Second, OMG – girl – you are as close to eco perfect as you can get. Geessh . . . I'm going straight to hell in comparison. And I think I'm pretty good most of the time. Although you are my hero. So cut yourself some slack and we will all keep trying.

Some small restaurants use disposables to keep their costs down because customers take the real dinnerware. Constantly replacing real plates, silverware, etc. is expensive even when shopping at a restuarant supply store.

I eat fast food sometimes too. I try not to eat it but sometimes circumstances (or cravings for grease) can't keep me away from Taco Bell crunchy tacos. I just try not to eat it often. I think the last time I had fast food was 4 months ago.

Wow! Amanda's looks fantastic. Great job on resisting the Mickey-D's. I have to fight that urge too!

First of all, Amanda's looks amazing. I wish we had something like that here.

Second, I am a perfectionist in all areas, and the eco guilt gets me, too. You've got to cut yourself some slack. I know it's easier said than done, but all we can do is our best, you know?

to answer your question

"Because why waste all this material… even for compost… when we don't have to? Why doesn't a restaurant like Amanda's that is trying to do such a good job (and IS doing a great job compared to fast food resturants) provide reusable plates and utensils for customers staying to eat their food in the restaurant?"

I think you have to remember how close to impossible it would be to be a fast food restaurant and still have everything reusable. I think Amanda's is really as close as you can get. It is tough. And honestly, you didn't go to mcd's and you didn't go to burger king. You chose the absolute best thing that would fulfill your craving (which you don't fulfill all the time) and you should not feel guilty. Keep rocking because you are an amazing example. Even your "confessions" are an amazing example.

Girl – your eco-sins are nothin compared to the rest of us! So give yourself a break and enjoy your meal at Amanda's. And next time you're there, do you mind asking them if they could open up a store in Minneapolis? I'm drooling over that veggie burger.