So why am I surprised?

Under the tutelage of Representative Nancy Pelosi during the years when Democrats ran the House, her party moved to “green” the Capitol with several initiatives, including obligating the food vendor for the three main House cafeterias to provide compostable cups and utensils. But the newly empowered House Republicans have ended the program, and plastic forks and foam cups have returned.

The short-sightedness I’m referring to is not about the environment. It’s that the GOP apparently missed the swing in the mood of the public. We get that sustainability matters.

Fodder for fun in comments:

Further, Ms. Wood added, the spoons would often dissolve in hot liquids, and forks and knives bent and snapped. “They could not penetrate lettuce,” she said, adding, “There were a substantial number of complaints.”

Emphasis added.