From Land to Table to Landfill: An Analysis of the Plastic Fork’s Life Cycle
Just in time for holiday feasts, join us for part 1 of the multistage journey of the ubiquitous plastic fork, and learn why single-use is a sustainability non-starter.
What does it take to create a plastic fork—the kind used for a few minutes at a party? To understand, we must go back over 65 million years, to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Decomposed plants and animals from that era, subjected to immense pressure and heat, transformed into natural gas—a finite resource at the heart of modern plastic production.
Plastic forks, like many single-use items, are made from petrochemicals derived from natural gas. These ancient resources, once extracted, cannot be replaced. Yet, in a culture of disposability, we convert them into products that are often discarded after mere minutes, harming people and the planet throughout their life cycle.
Let’s break down the life cycle and impact of a disposable plastic fork step by step!
STEP 1: Extracting the Gas
Oil and gas are extracted from deep within the Earth, from either large rock-bound chambers or small pores embedded in rock formations. While extraction from small pores in rocks was previously cost-prohibitive, federal subsidies and advancing technology reduced the cost and allowed fracking to explode in the early 2000s. Fracking now accounts for over 75% of US oil and gas production.
“The superabundance of fracked gases has turned the US into the global engine of plastics production.”
– The New Coal: Plastics and Climate Change, Beyond Plastics
The Harm: Living near fracking wells has been linked to health risks, including cancer, respiratory problems, prenatal harm, heart disease, mental health problems, and premature death. Fracking also pollutes surface and groundwater, decreases air quality, damages land, causes earthquakes, and exacerbates climate change.
Real-World Example: Children living within a mile of one or more fracking wells had a five-to-seven-fold increased risk of lymphoma according to a study by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the University of Pittsburgh.
STEP 2: Cracking Ethane and Producing Plastic
Mixed in the oil and gas are petrochemicals, which include ethane and styrene, used to make plastics. To turn ethane extracted from fracking into plastic, the ethane must first be cracked at an ethane cracker plant before it can be pelletized and then melted into a plastic fork. The gas from the fracking sites is delivered to the cracking facilities by pipelines, during which methane seeps into the atmosphere, releasing about 4.8 million tons of CO2e gasses per year—the equivalent of about two average-sized coal-fired power plants. At the ethane cracking facility, a tremendous amount of energy is used to crack ethane into ethylene and propylene. These chemicals are then polymerized, mixed with additives, and melted into the more than 561 billion disposable food service items Americans use and dispose of each year—including nearly 100 million plastic utensils used every single day.
The Harm: Ethane cracker plants release pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other hazardous chemicals, posing health risks like respiratory and neurological problems. These facilities disproportionately affect low-income communities and people of color.
“The [petrochemical] industry releases more than 90% of its reported climate pollution into 18 communities, mostly along the coastlines of Texas and Louisiana. People living within 3 miles of these petrochemical clusters earn 28% less than the average US household and are 67% more likely to be people of color.”
– Beyond Plastics
Real-World Example: In 2022, Shell’s ethane cracker in Pennsylvania exceeded its annual emissions limits for hazardous pollutants within six months of operation, leading nearby residents to describe the plant as “hell opening a portal.”
STEP 3: The Fork Hits the Store
While the US exports much of its plastic, it also generates more plastic waste per person than any other country—286 pounds annually, nearly double that of China.
STEP 4: A Few Minutes of Use
Despite the millions of years required to create the raw materials and the pollution-intensive production process, the typical plastic fork is used for only a few minutes.
STEP 5: The Fork Is Tossed
Approximately 40 billion tons of individual plastic cutlery is wasted in the United States every year. Plastic forks are not recyclable. After use, they typically end up in a landfill or incinerator. In landfills, they can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, ultimately breaking into harmful microplastics. If incinerated, the process releases toxic pollutants into the air, impacting nearby communities.
In the worst-case scenario, the discarded plastic fork will end up in the environment. A recent study found that 18% of ocean plastics are plastic cutlery, food containers, and wrappers. In the environment, the plastic fork will break down into microplastics, which are eaten, drank, and even inhaled by living organisms, including humans and the animals we eat.
The Harm: While the full impacts of microplastics on the body are not fully understood, scientists know they impact the digestive, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems. When plastics are incinerated, particulate matter, including nitrous oxide, lead, mercury, and other contaminants, are emitted into the air of nearby neighborhoods.
Real-World Example: A 2019 study found that 79% of the United States municipal incinerators are located in low-income communities and/or communities of color.
Why Isn’t My Plastic Fork Recyclable?
That’s a story for another time! Stay tuned for the answer. In the meantime, learn more about how reusables are a good solution to single-use disposables.
