Disposable product

Lore & Background

The term 'disposable' is an adjective describing something as non-reusable but disposed of after use. Many people now use it as a noun, though it remains an adjective with the noun implied. The UK government included an enquiry about how best to define 'single-use plastics' in its 2018 consultation document on tackling the plastic problem.

Synthetic plastic products gained popularity during the first half of the twentieth century, initially marketed as superior, light but durable materials compared to glass and metal. However, the plastic industry switched strategy in the 1950s to boost revenue by producing cheap and expendable plastic, signified by Lloyd Stouffer, an editor of a plastics industry magazine, who said at the 1956 plastics conference: 'the future of plastic is in the trash can.' By 1963, Stouffer commented that 'the happy day has arrived when nobody any longer considers the plastics package too good to throw away.'

Many governments and communities are scaling up efforts to phase out single-use plastic products. Since 2011, the community-led campaign Plastic Free July has encouraged individuals to refuse single-use plastics each July. Another campaign is Greenpeace's A Million Acts of Blue, which since 2018 has aimed to empower local communities to pressure corporations and governments. In 2015, the EU adopted a directive requiring reduction in consumption of single-use plastic bags, and in April 2019 adopted a further directive banning almost all types of single-use plastic except bottles from 2021.

Reader's Guide

Disposable products have become a central feature of modern consumer life, particularly in food service, packaging, and kitchen use. Their significance lies in the tension between convenience and environmental cost. The shift from reusable to disposable norms was driven by the plastic industry's marketing campaigns beginning in the 1950s, which established single-use plastic products as the norm. This has led to massive waste streams: for example, China produces about 57 billion pairs of single-use chopsticks yearly, and Israel is considered the world's largest user of disposable food containers and dinnerware, using 250 million plastic cups per month.

Regulatory responses have grown. The EU's Single-Use Plastic Directive went into effect in member states on 3 July 2021. In England, the sale of single-use plastic cutlery, balloon sticks, and polystyrene cups and food containers was banned from 1 October 2023. Taiwan banned disposable tableware in schools, government agencies, and hospitals in 2013, eliminating 2,600 metric tons of waste yearly. Munich, Germany, has had a ban on disposable food and drink containers at city facilities and events since 1991, reducing Oktoberfest waste from 11,000 metric tons in 1990 to 550 tons in 1999.

The legacy of disposables is complex: they offer hygiene and convenience but generate enormous waste, with only a small percentage recycled in many regions. The term 'disposable' is distinct from 'consumables,' which are items needed for a process to take place, such as welding rods or inks.

Did You Know?

• The plastic industry shifted to producing cheap, expendable plastic in the 1950s, with Lloyd Stouffer stating in 1956 that 'the future of plastic is in the trash can.'
• In 2013, Taiwan banned disposable tableware in its 968 schools, government agencies, and hospitals, eliminating 2,600 metric tons of waste yearly.
• Munich, Germany, reduced Oktoberfest waste from 11,000 metric tons in 1990 to 550 tons in 1999 through a ban on disposable food and drink containers at city events.
• China produces about 57 billion pairs of single-use chopsticks yearly, about 45 percent made from trees—about 3.8 million trees.