Not long ago we were visited by a friend from Switzerland, his first time in Canada. As he awaited his return flight he texted us from the airport. He was bewildered by the menu at Swiss Chalet, which contained nothing that was even vaguely Swiss! Where do we begin in "splainin?"
Yesterday we decided that it was "any chalet in a storm" after a busy two weeks with family. As the server brought our water I noticed that there were no plastic straws brought automatically, which we always politely refuse. When I inquired about this she told us that they are only provided on request now, and that they are transitioning to paper. We reviewed our table settings and realized that there was no single-use plastic and next to no disposable items, which was good for a semi-fast food experience. The same can't be said for their take-out which we've agreed we won't do anymore.
While my dearly departed mother was in her last hours in November we slipped out for a quick meal at MacDonald's, which I've been boycotting because they won't put coffee in a refillable thermal mug. Since we were eating there I asked that my orange juice not have a plastic lid, only to be told by the cashier and then the manager they couldn't do for "safety reasons." I calmly challenged the friendly manager on this rather silly company policy (I didn't use those words) given growing concerns about plastic waste. Someone nearby piped up and said this was a good point and he admitted that a container of juice wasn't the same as a cup of hot coffee -- don't get me started!
I figure that every day I need to figure out how to create less consumer waste, knowing what ends up in our lakes and oceans and just about everywhere else. We know that the recycling bin is not the answer, even though it may assuage our guilt. As a global citizen and a creation-care Christian it is a matter of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, with the first two coming first in practice.
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