Longhouse Sustainability - Single Use Plastic Reduction Campaign

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Also in Nixyaawii, Awkú Čáwpam Áḱaatta!: “Nixyaawii, Don’t Throw it Away!” Project

Project Goal 1: Understand food waste types and volumes
Project Goal 2: Build community capacity to improve materials management
Project Goal 3: Implement research/demonstration effort for biogas using food waste

Longhouse Sustainability - Single Use Plastic Reduction Campaign

As part of reducing waste all around in our community, First Foods Policy Program (FFPP) has invested project funds from our Meyer Memorial Trust partnership into reusable utensil sets that are made from sustainable wheat straw bioplastic. These utensil kits -- which are meant to be taken home, washed, and reused – are made from plastic created with straw material left over from wheat production instead of petroleum. With the amount of commercial wheat grown in CTUIR’s homelands, wheat straw bioplastic is a possible carbon removal option for CTUIR.

These utensil sets are given out at different outreach events, and regularly to attendees at Feasts at Nixyaawii Longhouse. The intent is to reduce the amount of single use plastic cutlery being used at Nixyaawii events by encouraging participants to remember to bring their own.

A woman holds a blue plastic box with gold images on it in one hand and an info graphic on a piece of paper in another.

Butch Dick, a Tribal Gatherer and knowledge keeper, holds our reusable utensils kit to show them off; thanks to Meyer Memorial Trust for generously supporting our efforts.

Two women smile in blue wing dresses widely in the Longhouse kitchen; the woman on the left holds up blue bioplastic utensils from the kit to demonstrate she brought them for Feast.

Two Gatherers smile in the Nixyaawii Longhouse kitchen; one holds up blue bioplastic utensils from the kit to demonstrate she brought them for Feast.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2024-70510-41990.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.

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Webpage updated: Oct 31 2024