Plastic Cutlery

Catering24 offer plastic cutlery which have a range of eco properties, so you can run your business to suit your needs and without a guilty conscience. Available to buy online with next-day delivery available if you place your order before 7pm. Disposable plastic cutlery is often the only practical solution for event caterers, food stalls, or takeaways, striking the balance of practicality with sustainability is solved with our range of recyclable plastic cutlery. 

We stock a wide range of disposable cutlery, that can be purchased as a plastic cutlery set, or if you after just a disposable fork, disposable knife, or a disposable dessert spoon. We’re sure we’ve got the right products for you. Whether your catering an event such as a picnic or BBQ, or are an ice cream vendor looking to provide customers with plastic dessert spoons or fork spoons with a delicious serving a ice cream.

Our eco-friendly range is designed to be sturdy and robust, providing a strong alternative to the low-quality, flimsy cutlery we’ve all had the misfortune of experiencing. We offer a range of colours and finishes, from the basic white or clear plastic cutlery through to a classy rose gold or silver plastic cutlery of which some caterers source for wedding parties and other catered events. With our wide range, you can choose the perfect design for your needs. Is plastic cutlery not quite what you’re looking for? Why not check out our heavy duty wooden cutlery or compostable cutlery for other environmentally-friendly options.

What is replacing plastic cutlery? 

The current trend for replacing plastic cutlery is wooden cutlery. This alternative to disposable plastic cutlery is considered more sustainable for the earth. Taking most of its material from Bamboo. Bamboo is a great sustainable material and is praised for its fast growth rate (one of the fastest growing plant species on the planet). Bamboo can be planted and reach maturity in just 90 days in the right environment with one species growing more than 30 inches per day! That is why Bamboo is a fantastic material replacing plastic in not only cutlery but other kraft or white disposables such as napkins, straws, stirrers and even toilet paper.

As well as wooden cutlery, compostable cutlery is also another great alternative that will eventually replace non-recyclable plastic cutlery, disposable cutlery, and other disposable tableware that is tricky to recycle. Bio cutlery is made up from 58% plantstarch and has a reduced carbon footprint so buy investing in bio cutlery, you can have the confidence knowing your doing your bit for the planet.

Is it safe to use plastic cutlery?

Plastic cutlery is considered safe to use. All materials used in food packaging go through rigarous testing to make sure they are considered safe. Whilst every country has its own legistation for its food contact materials, we make sure that every food packaging we sell has passed this legislation and considered safe to use in the UK.

What materials are used to make plastic cutlery?

Most materials used to make plastic cutlery are polypropylene or polystyrene, these materials are gathered from sources such as gas, oil or plant matter. Nearly all of our plastic cutlery uses polystyrene as it's main material.  Polystyrene derives from a polymer and can colour can be added to create virtually shade. This is the point where the manufacture chooses their polystyrene to make white plastic cutlery, black plastic cutlery, even silver plastic cutlery use for a stainless steel look it is formed into sheets which are then sourced and delivered to cutlery manufacturers. The sheets are then loaded onto a roller, stretched and heated to anywhere between 150-190 degrees celcius and goes through a process called thermoforming where the material is formed into the plastic cutlery you see on the shelves today. Either boxed separately as a single piece of cutlery, or boxed in plastic pouches with paper napkins to create cutlery sets. The bags of cutlery containing plastic forks, plastic knives, and plastic dessert spoons are boxed and sent to our customers to distribute.

Is plastic cutlery recyclable? 

Plastic cutlery made from polystyrene PS is currently difficult to recycle due to their small diameter they are usually removed during the contamination process. However, it is still recyclable. Contact your local council for further advise on how best to recycle your plastic cutlery. Our website offers an eco property page giving a glossary of terms which will help clear up any confusion. At Catering24, Recyclable means that the material of this product is able to be recycled in the UK. In the case of some products, (for example, PE lined paper cups) for the material to be recycled the user may need to segregate, clean, or dispose of in a specialist waste stream to ensure it is recycled in reality.

Are plastic utensils sanitary?

Yes, plastic utensils are considered very sanitary as they are considered a one time use utensil used by one user and not therefore not reusable. It is not recommended to use plastic cutlery more than once to then wash it with the aim to reuse, as much as the plastic starts to degrade and won’t retain it’s regidity as well as it’s first use.

If you require any further assistance or want more information on dinnerware, plastic cutlery or our next day delivery options, please do not hesitate to contact the customer service team 0115 9444434. All prices shown on our website are excluding vat.