Should You Reuse Plastic Utensils?

From takeout food to office parties, plastic utensils are everywhere. Like many plastics, however, they're easier to use than they are to recycle.

Materials:If the plastic in your cutlery is polystyrene, it will have a resin code 6 -- a number 6 encircled by a recycling sign -- printed on the plastic or the packaging. Polystyrene is not biodegradable and can last as long as centuries before it finally breaks down; in landfills, moreover, it may last even longer, since landfills are designed to store waste, not break it down. Consequently, although polystyrene currently constitutes less than 1 percent of the waste stream, it's still undesirable to throw it away.

Disadvantages of Reusing Utensils:In general, plastic utensils and cups aren't designed for repeated use or cleaning; washing with hot water and soap may cause the edges on the utensil to curl up, creating spaces that harbor food particles and encouraging rapid bacterial growth. Plastic cutlery is designed for single use -- so reusing it isn't a safe way to go.

Alternatives:Polystyrene is a thermoplastic, meaning it can be melted and remolded repeatedly, so recycling it is possible; many cities and counties do in fact accept polystyrene products . Many other counties and recycling centers, however, don't accept polystyrene because it costs too much for them to recycle efficiently. Check with your local recycling center or county environmental services department to find out whether such facilities accept plastic cutlery.

Reducing Consumption:Since recycling polystyrene is difficult and reusing it is unsafe, the best option is to use less plastic cutlery. Save plastic cutlery for events where reusable cutlery would be not be feasible. When it comes to plastic cutlery, reducing is better than reusing or recycling.

Source:NatGeo