In a world drowning in plastic waste, many food establishments are ditching single-use plastic utensils for biodegradable options. While most sit-down restaurants already offer reusable silverware, one steakhouse apparently didn't get the memo.
What's happening?
A Reddit user went to Longhorn Steakhouse for a meal and was shocked when their server gave them plastic cutlery to cut their steak. They posted a photo of the incident in r/mildlyinfuriating, which showed a plastic fork, knife, and spoon sitting next to their plate.
As expected, most commenters were just as surprised at the utensil choice, especially at a sit-down steak restaurant with table service such as Longhorn.
"Just another example of companies cutting costs due to inflation. I hope you have good strong teeth so you can just pick it up and bite it," one person joked.
"This is why in California it's now illegal for sit down restaurants to have disposable cutlery for dine in…so much waste for no reason…" shared another.
Some guessed that the original poster was eating at an airport restaurant, where it's more common to see plastic cutlery. However, the poster said they went to a standalone Longhorn, making it even stranger.
"I used to travel for business and don't think I've ever been given plasticware in an airport for a meal where it would be surprising, but now you have me wondering if they count their steak knives or something," another wrote.
Why is plastic waste important?
As the UN Environment Programme put it, "Our planet is choking on plastic."
According to the UN, the world produces around 440 million tons of plastic waste annually, and less than 10% of it gets recycled. Around 36% of all plastics are produced for single-use products such as cutlery, food and beverage containers, and toiletry items, and about 85% of these single-use plastics end their lifecycle in landfills or as mismanaged waste.
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In addition, it's believed that anywhere from 82 million to 219 million tons of plastic garbage is currently floating in our oceans, posing a severe threat to marine animals who could choke on or ingest plastic particles. In fact, millions of seabirds and marine mammals die each year as a direct result of plastic pollution, per the Ocean Blue Project and WWF Australia.
Is Longhorn Steakhouse doing anything about this?
According to a 2024 Impact Report by Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Longhorn, Darden diverted 17% of its waste — which includes plastic — from landfills last year. The Cool Down didn't uncover much else about its plastic waste management, but the company is taking steps toward sustainability in other ways.
All of its restaurants recycle used cooking oil, and 69% offer solid waste recycling programs. In addition, Darden donated 5.4 million pounds of excess food to nonprofits in fiscal 2024.
It's also unclear if this was a one-off fluke at this particular location since it's almost unheard of to see plastic cutlery in sit-down restaurants. One commenter suggested that the restaurant was short-staffed and didn't have time to roll enough silverware, which could've explained the situation.
What's being done about plastic waste more broadly?
Lawmakers and corporations are taking action to reduce single-use plastics. For instance, one Maryland county passed a law allowing restaurants to only provide customers with plastic cutlery if they request it.
Fast food chains such as McDonald's are no longer offering plasticware at select locations, and Starbucks is piloting a program in California to swap single-use cups with reusable versions.
We can also help by exploring plastic-free options for everyday products, such as reusable water bottles and to-go containers.
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