Several pieces of unopened plastic cutlery sat on a counter in a photo taken by a frustrated Redditor. The concerned recycler was worried about what to do with so many leftover forks they preferred not to get with their takeout order.
"I have a bag of all of this unused unopened plastic cutlery and it really kills me to throw it out," wrote the frustrated original poster. "Is there somewhere I can donate it?"
Uncontaminated plastic is recyclable depending on the type of plastic it is.
Unfortunately, as one commenter mentioned, "this type of plastic cutlery is non-recyclable," making it an even bigger problem. Another person stated: "I hope production of these will be stopped."
So why are these plastic utensils unrecyclable? Per Earth 911, all plastic utensils don't come from the same type of resin, as many consist of polystyrene (#6 plastic) — the basis of Styrofoam. Even if those utensils consist of PET (#1 plastic) or polypropylene (#5 plastic), there's no way to tell, so adding them to a recycling bin can risk contamination. Plus, those forks can jam machines. Luckily, more businesses are switching to compostable or reusable alternatives, from glass straws to bamboo cutlery.
Taking steps to extend the life of unrecyclable cutlery keeps it out of the trash for as long as possible. If there's no way to refuse such utensils when getting food, some suggested donating them to homeless shelters, which often rely on them. Many homeless people may need these and other disposable utensils since they may not have a way to wash regular utensils. Soup kitchens may also take these donations.
Don't be afraid to get creative with leftover cutlery. Some people have spray-painted the spoons and turned them into fun mirror frames — one even created a plastic spoon Christmas tree.
Reusing (or refusing) these items is another step to saving money from less consumption and reducing waste in landfills and oceans, where microplastics overflow. You can enhance sustainability efforts by using organizations like Trashie and GotSneakers to donate used clothing, accessories, shoes, etc., for cash or a rebate.
Regarding the used cutlery, one person suggested: "If you work in an office, you can leave them out for coworkers to use."
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