The Continual Saga of Plastic Utensils

There are many reasons one should forgo the single-use plastic utensils often chosen out of convenience and instead opt for sustainable bamboo. Once a person understands the hazards associated with plastic utensils, not just environmental but healthwise, it becomes clear why we as companies must make better choices and offer our customers and clients alternatives. Below are the top 3 perils of plastic utensils and why your company could use sustainable utensils as an effective marketing and promotional tool.

1. Negative Impacts On the Environment

There is no denying that global warming is causing issues for the earth, and single-use plastics, although not totally to blame, play a part in the growing pollution of our environment. It's believed that at least 14 million tons of plastic wind up in our oceans, affecting marine life and the entire ecosystem. Many people use plastic utensils on the go and don't always dispose of them properly. Most plastic utensils use polystyrene or polypropylene in production, which leaves a high carbon footprint. In addition, plastic cutlery is one of those items that won't get recycled even when you put it in the recycling. It's too contaminated, it's too small, and it's too lightweight. So those 40 billion plastic utensils used per year are a complete waste.

If given an option like bamboo alternatives for plastic utensils and straws, most people would use them. Even if they are thrown away and treated as single-use, they are 100% compostable.

2. Harmful Health Effects

Plastic utensils often contain phthalates, a chemical that disrupts our body's endocrine system and creates hormone imbalances. Phthalate makes plastic products flexible, but when we consider how zero waste products like bamboo utensils don't have any flexibility, it doesn't matter much anyway.

In addition, BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical added to many commercial products, including food containers and utensils. BPA can affect our body's ability to produce and regulate estrogen. When plastic utensils end up in the ocean, they break down into minute particles, and marine life becomes vulnerable to ingesting them, leading to a cycle of human ingestion when eating seafood.

3. Plastic Utensils Aren't Meant To Last Until They Reach The Landfill

Plastic utensils break, crack, and chip sometimes within a single-use. Breakages or even the thought concept that plastic utensils are single-use only means users throw the knives, forks, or spoons into the trash, where they sit in the environment for over 400 years.

Instead, wouldn't we choose something that lasts longer for our use and is biodegradable when we throw it away? The choice seems simple when you consider healthier and more environmentally sound options. And what better product to put your name on?

Envirosax is a company that sells eco promotional products for companies to make smarter decisions for the health of their customers or clientele and the earth. Nowadays, consumers care about what company's stand for and reward them for having morality and strong integrity with their business. The ethos of a company is as important as the products themselves, which is why opting for zero waste products is a smart choice for promotional giveaways or as part of your merchandise.