Actually, don’t skip the dishes

If you don’t know already, you should learn that microplastics are becoming part of our food systems right down to all our soils and growing media. Our addiction to take-out containers means we are unable to avoid consuming plastic microfibres even when we only eat vegetables now. How dangerous that is for our bodies is still under scrutiny, but I can’t imagine it’s going to prove to be a good thing. I have one huge solve that not many people seem to be talking about: do the dishes.

Make yourself carry a simple eating implement, like a fork or spoon or chopsticks, and use that instead of taking that plastic fork. Ask for a mug, or bring your own! If you start to accept dishes and the mess in your life that they cause (“oh man, now what do I do with this dirty fork or mug? Carrying a fork around means I also have to carry a little bag to put it in, and remember to clean that fork and little bag for next time I eat, in 4 hours or so…”) you will be on the road to remembering how important food work is.

Examine the class break down around doing dishes, and you will discover yet another part of our lives that we simply don’t want to talk about. Food work is seen as less important than other work, and we’re not too proud of ourselves for dismissing what we already know in our search for “Good Clean, Fair Food”. The circular thinking around plastic take outs is killing us, and we each owe ourselves the dignity of embracing the solution. Do you eat? Then you need to do dishes. You’ll find very few places that can provide you with real dishes anymore. Ask yourself why, and take a long look at how often you avoid the dishes….

Cookie Roscoe manages the Farmers Market at SickKids. During the warmer months, it’s every Tuesday, 8am to 2pm. In the colder months, they move inside and have it twice/month. Find them near the Elizabeth Street Entrance in the Terrace Cafe. Follow the Farmer’s Market facebook.