On reusable spoons and forks, et. al.

Image borrowed from here: http://www.clker.com/cliparts/2/d/5/a/1206572292566523398johnny_automatic_NPS_map_pictographs_part_28.svg.med.png

I shall now speak blog or forever hold my peace.

I believe we should not only chuck styrofoam and plastic spoons, forks and plates in favor of reusable ones, we should also begin to bring our own “baonan” (reusable  food container) to our school, workplace, or WHEREVER.

And it’s not just because of all the non-biodegradable trash and the accompanying disposal problems. Equally important is the issue of health and sanitation. There is a tendency for some people to NOT clean utensils thoroughly just because they won’t be the ones using it. And if that kind of person happened to be the one who washed the fork you’re using, say, in a restaurant, then that means you’re also ingesting all the germs from the person who previously used it along with the sumptuous green salad you’re having.

Besides, how sure are you that the plastic fork you’re using directly from the package is squeaky clean, germ-free and fit to use for eating? You never know what happens inside a factory…

I just thought of this while eating at our school cafeteria one afternoon, and noticed an icky speck of some unidentified food particle stuck on the fork I was about to get from the dispenser.