Is reusing disposable silverware normal?

October 19, 2014 8:10 PM

I wash and reuse plastic silverware when I bring my lunch in and need a fork. I usually bring something that requires a fork 1-2 a month and I'll use the same fork for a few months, so maybe 2-6 times, before I inevitably lose it. I wash it once I get home and then stick it in a drawer. My boyfriend thinks I'm a weirdo. Is this at all normal?

FWIW, I do this mostly because I'm too lazy to go down 4 flights of stairs and grab a fork from the kitchenette.

posted by matildatakesovertheworld to Food & Drink (51 answers total)

...why don't you just bring in a real fork and not lose it?
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 8:13 PM on October 19, 2014 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Completely normal. You don't have to worry about losing your good silverware at work, and you cause less environmental impact by not throwing away a plastic fork every time. What's not to like?
posted by Salamander at 8:13 PM on October 19, 2014 [42 favorites]

Normal is subjective in this case, I think, but I don't think it's common. My husband tried to wash some disposable utensils we had at a party, and I was really surprised. The whole point of having disposables is that you dispose of them--if you're going to wash things, use the genuine article and save some petroleum, right? (I take regular silverware in my lunch.) In addition, like various plastic containers from the grocery store or takeout cups, they're not meant to be reused and may not be safe.
posted by wintersweet at 8:14 PM on October 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

I'm with fiesta. The only weird thing here is that you aren't just using real utensils.
posted by InsanePenguin at 8:15 PM on October 19, 2014

In my neck of the woods: normal.
posted by jessamyn at 8:17 PM on October 19, 2014 [14 favorites]

I used to not do this, and now I do it. I felt more or less normal both times. Yeah, use a real fork if you've got one, but if you must use a plastic one once, why not use it again?
posted by PercussivePaul at 8:19 PM on October 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

I do this. It feels wasteful to throw away a plastic fork that can be washed clean (and I find that I can use a plastic fork 2-4 times before it gets stained or deformed or broken, if I don't lose it first). I also go through a lot of metal detectors, so I don't want to be carrying around metal utensils, especially something like a knife, in my bag, to take it back and forth from home. So I reuse the plastic ones a few times to try to mitigate the wastefulness of it.
posted by decathecting at 8:19 PM on October 19, 2014 [3 favorites]

Basically I do what you do, but I get my losable utensils from free piles and the thrift store. This means I can use metal utensils, which makes me feel fancy.
posted by aniola at 8:21 PM on October 19, 2014 [4 favorites]

Seems normal enough to me. I wouldn't say it's necessarily common.
posted by jeather at 8:25 PM on October 19, 2014

At previous family gatherings with my grandmother's generation they saved the plastic ware from everyone, because that's how its done.

But just for you, for yourself? That's what you do, no reason required.
If your boyfriend wants you to stop doing this, then you require some actual silverware that's worth reusing, and he can do the polishing.
posted by TheAdamist at 8:27 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

I do this. You can get those portable cutlery from camping stores... But when you lose those it sucks as they are pricey
I like to reuse plastic forks from takeaway.
posted by chapps at 8:29 PM on October 19, 2014

My wife does this and I tell her she's a weirdo, so I don't have any problem with telling you, an internet stranger, that you are also a weirdo.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 8:29 PM on October 19, 2014 [6 favorites]

Normal enough, and the metal-detector thing is a thing for lots of people. It also means that in situations where you might otherwise have to use crappy plastic knives and forks, you have non-crappy ones on hand. Because crappy plastic cutlery is terrible. (There are some kinds of plastic cutlery that I'm sure are leaching chemicals before they're washed even once, and others that look very much built for multiple use.)
posted by holgate at 8:32 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

I reuse ziploc freezer bags, and thus far the Plastic Police have not come in to arrest me. I suspect the case is similar for plastic utensils.

Even if it is weird, I say so what if it is.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:35 PM on October 19, 2014 [6 favorites]

FYI everyone, you can get bamboo semi-disposable utensils, so no worries about plastic being unsafe after being used.

That said

I totally do this depending on the quality of the fork. I did it today, TBH.
posted by jbenben at 8:37 PM on October 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

Totally normal. To me and my wife, that is.
posted by number9dream at 8:38 PM on October 19, 2014

I do this. Like you, I only re-use a few times, because yeah, they aren't really designed to replace real utensils forever. So: totally normal in my world.

(Mostly for environmental reasons: reusing a disposable utensil just ONCE reduces the waste by fully 50%. That's not nothing.)

(Possibly Relevant Roz Chast Cartoon)
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 8:39 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

Normal.

Bringing an actual silverware fork from home is weird and impractical to boot. What if you lose it? You'd be down a set of matching silverware.
posted by mochapickle at 8:40 PM on October 19, 2014

We do this at work. There are always events happening and extra supplies being left behind,, so new plastic ware cycles in as ones that have been used several times cycles out.
posted by PussKillian at 8:42 PM on October 19, 2014

This behavior is somewhat uncommon, and it suggests that you are opposed to waste. I wish that there were more people like you.
posted by Mr. Justice at 8:47 PM on October 19, 2014 [7 favorites]

My depression era grandmother would think you were the bees knees. She also washed and reused zip lock bags though, so take that for what it's worth.

I see no reason for why you wouldn't do this, though, even if you don't keep money in a tin canister. You save money and effort in not having to keep rebuying disposable silverware, you lessen your impact on the environment, and since you know that you inevitably will lose it anyway (like me and pens), it makes sense that you aren't using real silverware.
posted by SpacemanStix at 8:51 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

yep, I just moved into a new house and while I was working on unpacking my own kitchen stuff, I reused disposable utensils. Some of the ones you get these days seem very sturdy given they are only made to be used once. Disposable things bother me and in an ideal world, I would recycle or compost the utensils after reusing them a few times.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:55 PM on October 19, 2014

I think this is sort of weird. Not beyond the pale weird -- that would be if you washed and reused ALL plastic forks or like scavenged them from picnics and took them home to wash and reuse -- because hey, if you don't often need a plastic fork, and you only need it in one particular context, sure, that seems OK.

For some reason I'm more OK with the idea of the disposable fork staying at work, and only being washed and reused in an office context. I think if you're at the point of bringing it home and washing it, why not just pack a real fork with your lunch?
posted by Sara C. at 9:04 PM on October 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

Normal, but nthing that I'm happier scrounging up a few forks from the thrift store and using those instead. Using a metal fork feels nicer and they're easier to wash.
posted by needs more cowbell at 9:10 PM on October 19, 2014

No idea about normal, sorry, but I wholeheartedly applaud you for reusing stuff. I think that's fantastic and any boyfriend who isn't on board obviously doesn't deserve you. Seems a pretty clear case of DTMFA to me.

What I do find weird is referring to plastic cutlery as silverware.
posted by mewsic at 9:15 PM on October 19, 2014 [3 favorites]

I think your boyfriend is weird for thinking this is weird. REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE doode, where were you in elementary school?
posted by stray at 9:28 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

I do this.

Agreed that to refer to "plastic silverware" is the only weird thing :)

And for what it's worth, my office kitchenette has plastic cutlery of the cheap-o quality you get with takeaways in the same drawer as the silverware, so I think some people are washing and reusing it there too.
posted by lollusc at 9:31 PM on October 19, 2014

You may or may not be a weirdo but this is a good thing to do. Ware the dishwasher, they are sometimes meltingly hot. Also being a weirdo is a good thing.
posted by vapidave at 9:37 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

I wouldn't put them in the dishwasher, as they may deteriorate and become unsafe. But I wash my disposable cutlery all the time. I have kids and they keep losing the forks and so on. It costs me $1-$2 for a metal fork at the dollar store. So I instead send my less organized kid with the plastic cutlery and wash it on the off chance it makes it back. It doesn't take long before he loses it, though.

My family likes to tell stories about my great-aunt who washed all her paper towels by hand and hung them up to dry. If you are doing that, you're a weirdo. (She was otherwise perfectly wonderful.)
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 9:46 PM on October 19, 2014 [2 favorites]

YOU ARE SAVING THE PLANET LIKE A MENSCH!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:47 PM on October 19, 2014 [6 favorites]

Normal among ecological tree-huggers, weird if you're an unenlightened climate-change denier who mocks those who recycle.
posted by Rash at 10:52 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]

I do this, I think it's fabulous that others do this and normal is both subjective and relative. Because normal is not a good answer to ... anything.
posted by Bella Donna at 10:59 PM on October 19, 2014

Normal? I guess it depends on your definition. This isn't crazy or creepy or anything bad, but the plastic forks are specifically designed to be used once and thrown away. Why would you bring home a dirty plastic fork from work? Like, that's just kind of gross.

Even when I bring tupperware-style containers, I detest bringing them home dirty. Usually I rinse them out completely at work before I bring them home. But when you close them, they don't touch anything, even if they are dirty or wet. A fork? That is bound to get on your stuff. How much is one of those box of plastic forks? Like $2? Unless you are living on packs of 8-cent ramen noodles everyday, can you really not afford to throw out the plastic forks?

If you insist on reusing instead of creating trash, bring a real actual fork. You can buy an actual silverware fork for like $1 at Ikea.
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:42 PM on October 19, 2014

I hate the waste of single use disposable cutlery too. My boyfriend bought me a set of really nicely made camping bamboo cutlery in a little pouch and it's great. It lives at work but I also take it on holiday.

Because it's so distinct, it doesn't get lost - e.g. if I leave it by the sink to dry, someone doesn't assume it's for common use and go off with it. The chopsticks are a really beautiful design, as a bonus. You can get them easily in the US, elsewhere you might have to order them. Search for "camping bamboo cutlery" and you'll see them, the pouch is turquoise or orange.

In Japan, there's a big trend towards having your own chopsticks in a small, washable pouch, instead of using disposable bamboo ones. I got some awesome Totoro ones when I was there. So you (we) are just way ahead of the curve :)
posted by tardigrade at 12:39 AM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]

I have a couple of plastic utensils at work that I wash and reuse (I wash them at work and leave them at my desk, that way I don't run the risk of forgetting to bring a utensil, which is how this all started to begin with). So I think you're normal on the front of reusing disposables.

I draw the line at washing and reusing disposables from a party, because I wouldn't want to use a disposable that someone else used.
posted by vignettist at 1:58 AM on October 20, 2014

I not only have done this, but I grew up in a household that did this, which makes all the comments about how weird this practice is feel really strange!
posted by deludingmyself at 3:37 AM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]

Not weird, I've done this, but echoing the advice to just buy a few forks from the thrift store and those can be "work lunch forks". It's more pleasant to eat off of real forks anyway.
posted by quaking fajita at 5:59 AM on October 20, 2014

I do this with thicker disposable forks and spoons, but not the terrible thin plastic white ones. (I even bring home the spoons from the frozen yoghurt place, but that's because the spoons are kinda cute and I have children to provide an excuse.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:20 AM on October 20, 2014

We do this. Plastic forks seem to enter into one's life even if you don't seek them out, through carry out orders, etc. Buying extra metal utensils at IKEA or the thrift store in lieu of reusing these freebie plastic ones is what strikes me as weird.
posted by drlith at 6:23 AM on October 20, 2014

If you want a permanent desk fork, I find that the cheapest ones at Walmart (4/$1) are cheaper than the thrift store, and don't have bent tines or whatever else led the used ones to be discarded.

FWIW, I reuse plastic cutlery indefinitely (mostly those pretty fro-yo spoons), wash plastic bags and sometimes aluminum foil, and save paper napkins to use for the rare dirty/greasy thing I would use paper towels for (I don't remember the last time I bought paper towels). I also exclusively use plastic grocery bags as bin liners. This is pretty normal among my friends.
posted by momus_window at 6:32 AM on October 20, 2014

I keep metal utensils at my desk (in addition to a mug, a plate, and a bowl from teh dollar store), and I also keep metal utensils in my car, but if i use a plastic fork, I do end up washing and reusing it at least once. I try to tell people that i don't need cutlery when i get takeout or fast-food. I just don't like the waste of it all. I don't give a poop if anyone thinks it's weird.
posted by WeekendJen at 6:35 AM on October 20, 2014

Totally normal.

I do try to make the distinction between the better quality and the lesser, because the lesser ones have extra ridges on the back and I find that hard to clean in the crevices. But for the nice ones that are smooth and strong - reuse as often as you like.
posted by CathyG at 6:52 AM on October 20, 2014

Normal. My grandmother used to hang used (wet) paper towels on a "clothesline" in her bathroom, so that she could re-use them.
posted by alex1965 at 6:57 AM on October 20, 2014

Normal. I hate the waste of plastic. At my office, I've brought in a set of plates, bowls, cups, and thrift-store silverware for my use during lunch. I have access to a breakroom with a dishwasher that I can use to air dry my washed dishes after each use. In the years I've been doing this, I have had a plate and some silverware disappear, but otherwise this system works well. And there is a particular pleasure to be had in eating my lunch off a pretty plate with real utensils.
posted by megancita at 7:29 AM on October 20, 2014

Totally normal and good on you for not being wasteful. Just because something is disposable doesn't mean it can't be reused.
posted by futureisunwritten at 7:47 AM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

My grandmothers are rolling in their graves at the idea that anyone would find this strange. One of them would iron used wrapping paper after Christmas so she could reuse it next year.
posted by interplanetjanet at 8:12 AM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

Like CathyG, I hate trying to get the back of plasticware (with all those damn ridges!) clean. Too much of my life (and too much water) wasted.

Most people at my workplace have a permanent set of work-utensils...ranging from the fancy camping sporf to thrift store/estate sale/Walmart rejects. If you have a permanent desk space, you can build yourself a little kit with a plastic caddy box and a few dish towels (plus whatever you want in the way of dish washing liquid and scrubby brushes)... That way you can wash everything and put it in the box with the towels to dry out, instead of leaving (and losing) it by the sink.
posted by anaelith at 8:58 AM on October 20, 2014

Not weird if you like eating with plastic, and if you're truly prone to losing utensils.

If you like a metal fork, I'd do the dollar store thing. I've gotten 4 forks for under a buck. I send them in my kids' lunches--we've lost maybe a couple over a few years. (For field-trip lunches, I use plasticware saved from takeout.)

Even a metal dollar-store fork is more likely to end up in a drawer at work than in the trash if you do lose it, so it's still an eco friendly approach. But if you like using plastic, keep on keepin on!
posted by whoiam at 10:29 AM on October 20, 2014

Normal.. to me, as I do the same.
posted by goml at 7:06 PM on October 20, 2014

Totally normal. My mom hated the feeling of metal utensils on her teeth and always used plastic silver wear.

My grandmother would wash the plastic after every major dinner. Same for my God mother (who is not a blood relation).

OK, so maybe my family is on the extreme end of weird.
posted by kathrynm at 4:30 PM on October 21, 2014

I dunno if it's weird, but I do it. I usually break them rather than losing them.
posted by windykites at 2:04 AM on October 22, 2014