This week I was visited by a woman inventor who created a way to reduce one seemingly small contributor to the landfill. You know those little tiny plastic spoons they give you in the ice cream shop so you can taste lots of flavors before you make a selection or that are distributed along with little samples of a new soup in the supermarket? Well they're not reused, recycled, or biodegradable.
That's why Peggy Cross developed the EcoTaster (shown left),a paperboard tasting spoon made from recycled materials that will decompose in compost in just two weeks.
For full-size portions, she also offers the EcoTensil (shown right) which is made of the same type of paperboard as a milk carton and will also biodegrade, although a little bit more slowly.
Cross also pointed out that these made-in-the-USA tools are made of less material and take up less space than other disposable utensils (see photo at left), making for a much smaller carbon footprint. Stonyfield Farms recently used the spoons for yogurt samplings at the US Open tennis championship--we hope they start popping up in supermarkets, trade shows, and sports events all over the country. Voskos Yogurt, Solgar Vitamin and Herb Company, and Schoolhouse Kitchen are other companies that are already using them.
Here at GHRI we've demonstrated our commitment to the environment with our Green Good Housekeeping Seal which helps you make wise choices for the earth, when you're out shopping.