Zero Waste Kits: Plastic Be Gone!

The global movement to reduce plastic waste has found new expression: the Zero Waste Kit.

These portable containers hold things that typically are thrown away but can be reused — eating utensils, napkins, straws, more. For the last few years, such kits have been cropping up as hobbyist's items, all trying to find the best formula.

Now Marina Qutab, a San Diego entrepreneur, has come through, and is marketing a kit that is excellent, conscientious and stylish. Qutab's {Zero} Waste Kit is exclusively made from ingredients that are ethically and sustainably sourced, and every element in the kit can be recycled or composted. It's truly 100% zero waste.

Set in a small glass jar, the kit includes a bamboo utensil whose one end is a fork and the other a spoon; a stainless steel straw (and a straw cleaner); a napkin made from upcycled materials; a ceramic knife; produce bags made from organic cotton, and other goodies.

The kit makes carrying reusable daily essentials vastly easier. Further, according to NBC San Diego, it "helps people reduce their waste by as much as 70 percent every single day."

Launched with a Kickstarter campaign — which reached its initial $10,000 goal in 24 hours — the kit has been announced as ready to ship on March 19, 2019.

"The average American creates 4.5 pounds of waste a day," Qutab says. "We hope that our streamlined take-it-with-you-and-go kit, which makes breaking up with single-use plastic products easy and convenient, is just the beginning of your low impact journey."

Info and orders here.

—By Jim Pierce