Dish Library finds a new home for waste-reducing mission

Vashon’s dish lending library has, for 20 years, provided free use of dishware to groups and households to avoid throwaway dishes, glasses and eating utensils when hosting large crowds.

Now it has a new name, a new home and a new sponsor, but the spirit and mission remain the same.

The library was started in 2005 by Janie Starr, who after moving to Vashon was “shocked by the plethora of paper and plastic products at picnics/potlucks on the island.”

Inspired by other dish libraries, she suggested hosting No Trash events. According to Karen Biondo, who housed the dishes for more than a decade, the first event was a wedding. “The bride and groom’s mothers had a blast shopping at Goodwill, St. Vincent and other thrift stores. They seeded the library which became known as the No Trash Bash Stash, with 100 plates, flatware, glasses and napkins,” she said.

Zero Waste Vashon has taken the reins of the library from its most recent host, Abby Antonelis, who was its curator for the past seven years.

“Since its inception, the library has been housed on private property and managed by dedicated and generous individuals,” said Zero Waste Vashon president Nancy O’Connor, “which becomes unsustainable over time.”

With that in mind, Zero Waste is looking to involve a cadre of volunteers to help. “Just like the Tool Library, it takes many hands to keep a resource like this going,“ O’Connor said.

Rebranded as the Vashon Dish Library and newly housed at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, the library’s reservation system has gone digital. Megan Stachura has set up a website — dishlibrary.myturn.com — for islanders to peruse inventory and reserve items after setting up an account. It uses the same software as the Vashon Tool Library.

The dishes are stored in a tool shed in the lower parking area of the Vashon Episcopal Church. Paul Wilkes, a volunteer with the church, has been key to establishing a partnership with Zero Waste Vashon.

“When Zero Waste approached us about hosting the Dish Library, it felt like a perfect match,” Wilkes said. “We’re always looking for ways to foster the communal spirit of the Island, and we’re thrilled to provide a home for the library.”

Over the last few months, volunteers have sorted, washed and inventoried more than 1000 items, including more than 250 dinner plates.

The most immediate need, according to Zero Waste Vashon, is volunteers willing to act as administrators. Folks can sign up for as little as one week to monitor online reservations and answer questions. Those interested can sign up to volunteer at tinyurl.com/VashonDishLibrary.

“This can easily be done from your computer at home,” said Stachura, who will be training folks on the system. “We expect it will only take a few minutes a day yet is super important to ensure accessing the dishes is quick and easy.”

Zero Waste Vashon will host an open house and serve light refreshments — on library dishes, of course — from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, June 7 at the Episcopal Church of The Holy Spirit.

Learn more by contacting dishlibrary@zerowastevashon.org.

Islander Celia Congdon launched the Choose Plastic Free campaign with Nancy O’Connor in 2023.