Can You Recycle Plastic Utensils?
No
No — too small and the wrong plastic
Why
Cutlery is too small for sorting equipment and is often polystyrene (#6), which has almost no recycling market. It ends up contaminating good loads.
How to dispose of plastic utensils
- Put used plastic cutlery in the trash
- Decline cutlery in delivery apps when you do not need it
Greener option
Keep a real fork at your desk, or a bamboo travel set in your bag.
♻️ Recycling rules vary by city and hauler — when in doubt, check your local program. You can look up your area on our trash & recycling schedules page.