Rent-A-Cutlery Movement In Bengaluru

Rishita Sharma who started Rent-A-cutlery in Whitefield along with Lakshmi Sankaran said that when they began working on this concept in 2016, people were not too receptive about it. “We were waste management volunteers in Whitefield, and we used to go to schools and colleges to raise awareness about this topic. We saw that disposables were everywhere, and we realised that people needed an alternative to stop using disposables,” she said.

When the duo suggested the idea to their community members, they found people were willing to invest in common cutlery and plate sets, but the maintenance aspect was a concern for them. Sharma and Sankaran went ahead and purchased about 100 plates, cups and spoons between them, hoping to share them with their close friends. This was how Rent-A-Cutlery officially started.

Not only have the number of plates increased at Rent-A-Cutlery today, but people have also joined the initiative by setting up branches all over Bengaluru. They also have a volunteer from Chennai who has set up a plate bank there. Rent-A-Cutlery goes one step ahead and uses only bio enzymes, prepared at home, to clean the plates and cups.

An Average Wedding Generates Two Truckloads Of Trash

So how could this be made into a norm? “The problem lies in the question itself,” believes P Natarajan of Namma Ooru Foundation who set up the Namma Cutlery Bank in Chennai in March this year.

“We have to go back to celebrating in an eco-friendly way. Rentals were the norm even in the recent past. People would rent everything from tubelights, chairs, plates, cups and even the jugs used to serve water. Everything was cleaned and given back. There was no trash. Then the use and throw culture came in, and suddenly there is so much trash,” he says.

In case you are wondering how much trash is generated from single-use cutlery, then consider this – an average wedding with about 1000 guests generate close to two truckloads of garbage, going straight to the landfill.

Namma Cutlery Bank has about 200 small plates, cups, spoons and glasses for small to medium-sized events. Natarajan points out that bagasse plates are more expensive than the stainless steel alternatives, and in the case of cutlery made with areca nut leaves, they need to be soaked after use to compost them.  “Unless you take the necessary steps, purchasing and using these materials makes no sense,” he added.

Rented Cutlery Movement Is Growing

Just as with Rent-A-Cutlery, Namma Cutlery Bank was born from an organisation working on solid waste management. While they do get requests, people who are already inclined to these concepts are the ones embracing them. Natarajan shares that awareness is vital to include more people in such activities.

“We completely rely on social media to spread the message,” he said. “We also promote the concept within the communities we work with. We have a WhatsApp group where we share these ideas on a regular basis,” he added.

Rishita Sharma also agrees that people need to know about these options and the impact of their choices to consider going a different route. So far, Rent-A-Cutlery has reduced waste in over 200 events.

Sharma also started the #byocselfie challenge along with her friends Seema Sharma and Padma Naveen. “When it comes to larger gatherings, people are still worried about the hygiene factor and about how others will perceive the fact they are serving food on rented stainless steel plates. But the only way to work around these concerns is to constantly share positive stories of how using rented cutlery reduces a significant amount of waste.”

So what are you waiting for? The next time you are hosting a gathering at your place, pool in some plates from your neighbours or simply renting them. And when you rent a plate, make sure you share your story and inspire others to follow suit.  Here are a few options to consider renting plates, depending on where you are.

Adamya Chetana Plate Bank Bengaluru
Faridabad Crockery Bank Faridabad
Crockery Bank For Everyone Gurgaon
Tashi Cutlery Bank Hyderabad
Lean Trash Pune
Rent-Eco-Cutlery Pune
Crockery Bank Vadodara Vadodara