Can Recycling Plastic Cutlery Help the Planet? Here's What To Do To Reduce Takeout Carbon Footprint

Do you prefer ordering takeout over cooking? People choose takeout for lunch treats, dinner convenience, or due to empty fridges. Even though some containers are recyclable, there is an element of food takeout that should be avoided to lower one's carbon footprint: plastic cutlery.

That means plastic spoons, forks, and knives, which may even be made from recyclable plastic. However, that may not mean that these plastics can or will be recycled.

Recyclable Plastic Made Into Untensils But Cannot Be Recycled

Louis Vetrone, deputy commissioner of Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities, explained that all plastics are practically recyclable. However, there is a lack of consistency existing in the plastic types used for disposable utensils.

Jeremy Walters, spokesperson and sustainability ambassador at the major U.S. waste management company Republic Services, elucidated that while polystyrene is common, variations also employ polypropylene and even a blend of these. The absence of a standard polymer composition for knives, spoons, and forks creates the primary challenge.

Moreover, recycling feasibility varies for different plastics, yet the critical issue with plastic cutlery is not its plastic classification but rather its inherent characteristics. This complexity undermines recycling efforts, leading to uncertainty despite conscientious disposal of recyclable plastics in curbside bins.

Another challenge for recycling plastic utensils is that the recycling machines are not designed to recycle them, as per Huffpost's report. The size and shape of plastic cutlery hinder recycling machinery, leading to sorting issues and operational disruptions.

While advanced systems like optical sorters aid sorting, they struggle with cutlery, resulting in landfilling for many recycling plants, including major operators like Waste Management.

Innovative facilities like Westchester's waste-to-energy plant can handle plastic utensils, diverging from the landfill norm. In areas using landfills, such items are sent there, while waste-to-energy facilities offer an alternative solution, illustrating the complex challenges in plastic cutlery recycling.

Recycled Plastic Utensill Not Biodegradable

Plastic cutlery is not biodegradable because biodegradable materials break down with the help of microorganisms. However, plastics remain intact, breaking into smaller, harmful fragments over time. Plastics, including plastic cutlery, do not decompose and pose environmental risks.

Composting is beneficial for gardening, but plastics like cutlery cannot be composted as microorganisms struggle to break them down. Instead of discarding unused plastic cutlery, consider donating it for reuse to reduce waste.

Are Biodegradable Utensils Better Than Plastic Cutlery?

Bio-plastics, like plant-based, compostable, or biodegradable options, are promoted as eco-friendly substitutes for single-use plastic, particularly in utensils. However, the true sustainability of these alternatives compared to conventional plastic raises questions. Plastic Tides founder Céline Jennison explained how compostable or biodegradable products might ironically be worse than plastic.

Jennison noted that household composting is not effective for bio-plastics; industrial composting at high temperatures is required. However, even in industrial composting, these "compostable" materials result in low-quality compost, not ideal for plant nourishment.

Also, they cannot be recycled even though they are labeled as biodegradable. Composting biodegradable utensils with recyclables can disrupt sorting, leading facilities to send everything to landfills, posing a risk to recycling systems.

Check out more news and information on Plastics in Science Times.