What's the difference? A big one, to marine life. When a substance biodegrades, it breaks down into simpler compounds. It can be absorbed and repurposed. But plastics simply weaken in the sun, breaking down into smaller and smaller bits, retaining their chemical substance, and interfering with the life cycle of marine animals and sea birds.
These plastic serving implements made their way into our household through Emma's graduation party, when Francesca and Emma each ordered food from their favorite ethnic restaurants. The big paper shopping bags filled with Indian and Middle Eastern food also disgorged a dozen or more plastic serving tongs and spoons. They are sturdy and functional, too much like real cutlery to throw away, yet we don't need them. Plastic may be functional, but it is never pleasing to the eye or to the touch. Still, these were too substantial - too pristine - to recycle, so I shoved them into one of our precious few kitchen drawers.
Today, as I was rooting around, looking for twist ties and frustrated because the drawers were so crowded I couldn't find anything, and then I couldn't get the drawers open and closed, I realized they were stuffed full of black plastic serving implements that had never been used. So I bagged them together in a Ziploc bag and threw them into the latest Goodwill box. I'm not sure, though, that anyone will ever buy them. After all, isn't every kitchen drawer in Ann Arbor stuffed full of plastic serving implements?
I've already stopped taking drinking straws (did you know straws used to be made of paper?). I'm resolved now to decline plastic lids and cutlery as well.
Also relegated to the Goodwill box: not my grandmother's china desert rose salad tongs. Now at last I can get the drawers open and closed. Today anyway.
There is a great future in plastics!
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