Friday, February 8, 2013

Plastic Kitchen Cutlery & Homeware

Plastic cutlery and homeware are inexpensive to use but are non-biodegradable.


Cutlery refers to utensils used to prepare, serve or eat food. Cutlery is also called silverware, utensils or flatware. Cutlery may also refer to knives. Plastic cutlery and homeware have many advantages, such as a wide array of color choices to coordinate with a kitchen's color scheme. Plastic cutlery and homeware, such as canisters, are less expensive than alternatives, such as stainless or silver. But plasticware does have disadvantages, such as inferior quality and environmental hazards.


Easy to Clean


Plastic cutlery and homeware, such as canisters, trays, coasters and other plasticware, are easily washed and dried. Hand washing in water and liquid dish detergent will clean the plastic. Some plastic cutlery and home articles may be top rack dishwasher safe. Disposable plastic cutlery and homeware, such as plates and cups, are best hand washed if you choose not to dispose of the products, because the high water temperature of a dishwasher may melt the objects. Never wash plastic cutlery or homeware in the dishwasher unless the plastic object itself or the packaging it came in states it is dishwasher safe.


Inexpensive


Compared to wood, porcelain, china and various metal cutlery combinations (such as wood handle with metal blade), plastic cutlery is often most inexpensive. Disposable plastic cutlery often comes in a package or box with multiple pieces of the same, such as all spoons, or multiple matched sets of knives, forks and spoons. Disposable plastic cutlery can be used for picnics, company, office or school events or anywhere dish washing is not a feasible option. Plastic cutlery and homeware intended for reuse is often sold at discount or dollar stores. Plastic may be combined with inexpensive metals to create forks, spoons and knives. Plastic ladles, spatulas or spoons are often molded plastic and are available as single pieces or in sets of several pieces.


Wide Color Choices


Plastic lends itself well to a variety of colors because the plastic is colored before being poured into molds to create cutlery or homeware. Plastic flatware grips or molded plastic homeware pieces are often brightly colored in seasonal and other colors. Party stores carry many colors of disposable plastic cutlery and coordinating homeware for use at parties and events. For homemakers who prefer that everything in their kitchen match, plastic cutlery may be the best choice.


Disadvantages


Plastic cutlery is often produced cheaply using inexpensive materials. Knife blades may be made of inferior metal and as a result may be dull. The inferior quality of the blades may render sharpening them impractical if not impossible. Plastic cutlery is harmful to the user and to the environment. Plastic cutlery is not biodegradable and will sit indefinitely in landfills across the country. According to the Agricultural Institute of Marin, users are exposed to the chemical Bisphenol A, also called BPA, when the plasticware is exposed to hot food. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises against using plasticware to heat or cook food. Plastic cutlery and homeware have a high tendency to melt when exposed to extreme heat from stove tops, microwaves or the heating element of a dishwasher. Plastic weakens over time, and the cutlery or homeware may crack or break without warning.








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