Ok, sometimes we McSister’s just don’t get it and just want to scream!  Is it SO difficult to make the simple choice to say no to single-use plastic?

This week I (Frances) was eating lunch with friends at a local restaurant.  We ordered at the counter, chose our table, and waited for our food.  The restaurant provided glasses for drinks and served meals on glass plates or in bowls.    They also had paper cups with plastic lids and straws, presumably for people ordering food to go.  I noticed several customers order their food to eat in the restaurant, then asked for paper cups, plastic lids, and straws. They then sat down at a table in the restaurant and ate their meal served on glass plates or in bowls.  After they ate, they threw the paper cup, plastic lid, and plastic straw in the garbage.  I just don’t get it.  Why not use the reusable cup?  Why, if they are not getting food to go, would they ask for the paper cup, plastic lid, and plastic straw that they used for maybe 10 minutes, or 20 if I’m being generous, just to throw it away?

Sadly, the same thing happens in many places. We McSisters have often seen fast-food restaurant servers pack food for customers into plastic food containers, put the food and plastic utensils into a plastic bag.  The customer then sits at a table in the restaurant, takes their food out of the plastic bag, eat their meal, and then throw all the plastic into the garbage can.  It’s so hard to understand this waste. The plastic bag is literally used for seconds.  Even if you are taking the food out, you can say no to the plastic utensils and plastic bag – bring your own bag and utensils, ask the restaurant to use compostable everything, or simply skip getting food from those restaurants.  Panda Express was once a favorite of Barbara’s, but not only do they pack everything in plastic, they continue to use Styrofoam in Sonoma County where it is banned.

And, more we don't get – many friends agree that single-use plastic is terrible, but  continue the same pattern of single-use plastic waste.  They say “We forget” or “It’s convenient”.   We’ve heard their stage whispers: “Don’t let [Frances or Barbara or Beverly] see you using that single-use plastic.”   We know we can be a bit too emphatic in our passion about single-use plastic.   We try not to make people wrong, nor shame them, instead hoping to increase awareness. The production and elimination of single-use plastic greatly impacts climate change. We McSisters are passionate about your health and our planet’s health, and our children and grandchildren and all those kids playing in our plastic waste in those countries that still take our plastic waste.  This is about saving ourselves and our planet.

What can you do?

• Say no to single-use plastic in restaurants and stores

• Choose your health and choose our planet’s health!

• Bring your own bag, utensils, water bottle, coffee cup, etc.

• Advocate for change at your store, restaurant, city, club, workplace

• Do a self-evaluation of your plastic waste at home to see what you can cut. What plastic can you eliminate?