Current Green Says YES! to To-Go Ware and No! to the destruction of 25 million trees each year

Every week Current Green features a business or organization that we are Saying YES! to for their leadership in the sustainability arena. Our hope is that this series will not only give credit where credit is due, but will also shed light in the fog of the wild world of green washing.

This week we are featuring To-Go Ware, for their ongoing dedication to raising awareness about over consumption, reducing garbage in landfills, and educating about how we can reconsider the way our society uses (or abuses) plastic.

Current Green: How did you come up with the idea?

Stephanie Bernstein: It was back in college. I was at an ice cream shop with my sister, and we were served our scoops in a plastic bowl with a plastic spoon. Perplexed, I remember asking, “Did we say To-Go?” Now you don’t think twice about being served in disposables regardless if it’s for take-away, but it was at a time where that transition was first happening. We diligent college students carried our reusable coffee mugs around campus (mostly for the discount), but I wondered why we couldn’t carry everything we’d need. And we should call it To-Go Ware, I thought. The entire concept came in a few minutes — then I sat on it for around 7 years until I launched the company.

Current Green: Can you measure the impact of your business? (and/or the individuals who use your business?)

Stephanie Bernstein: Well, according to estimates, Americans throw out enough plastic cutlery each year to circle the equator 300 times. 25 million trees are destroyed each year to make 45 billion disposable chopsticks. While it’s hard to quantify exact numbers of plastic fork usage per individual, we believe that one person has a rather hefty “forkprint,” seeing as how it is nearly impossible to never have an on-the-go meal, where you are handed extra forks, napkins, chopsticks, etc. Let’s say on average (and I’ll go to low end of spectrum), one person throws out 3 forks a week. That’s 156 per year — how many folks are there in the US? Do the math an it boggles the mind that one small behavior change can have such an immediate impact, if done cumulatively.

See the full interview and staff reviews at the link.