My daughter participated in a Lego Robotics championship a few years back in Atlanta.  (Ok, they won).  It was the international tounament and the whole family got to go with her team on the trip.  At one of the restaurants that we dined at, my daughter approached an employee and asked where she could find the recycling.  The woman laughed.

We live in a bubble

Clearly we are not in Kansas (Portland) anymore, I thought.   I have to keep reminding myself, my friends, and my family of that.  Yes, Portland is a bubble.  And if you happen to live in the southeast side of things you realize that the bubble is even smaller.

I don’t care

It may be a bubble, but it is our bubble, and we like it the way it is.  I like living in a ‘green’ place where they outlaw things like plastic bags–everyone knows you can’t get rid of plastic. 

I have many former students who have gone on to open food carts in town.  They tell me that if you open a food cart now, you have to use compostable to-go containers.  I think that is great.  In fact, I think it is so great, that when I go to other places, I am shocked when I see food put into plastic clam shell containers.  Or even worse (ouch) styrofoam cups.

I have been living in this bubble for so long, sometimes I forget how the rest of the world lives.  We are lucky here in Portland.  Portland makes composting and recycling easy.  That is not the case if you happen to step outside of the city limits.

It’s the right thing to do

We can’t change the whole world.  Yet.  But we can start here and do the socially responsible thing.  What are you using in your place?  And then, seriously, how much more would it be to switch from that plastic to something compostable?  Not that much.  Besides, if you decided to charge a nickel more to cover your cost of to-go containers, people would happily hand that five cents over.

All of us need to be giving back to our community, and this would be a great start.  So, take the plunge and make the switch.  You will sleep better at night.