What this line covers
Disposable cutlery sets are the small items that travel in every delivery bag and catering box: a spoon, fork or knife, often with a napkin and a toothpick, sealed in a clear wrap so the kit stays clean until it is opened. The line covers loose PP cutlery, wrapped PP kits, and wooden kits for markets where single-use plastic cutlery is not allowed. It is usually bought together with takeaway packaging, so the desk ships it in the same consolidated order as containers and paper boxes.
The reference model on the cut sheet is a PP spoon from a partner plant, 136x32 mm and 1.6 g. The drawing shows a nominal height of 12 mm only to give the spoon bowl a profile; it is not a measured value. A smaller spoon in the same range is 115x31 mm and 1.1 g.
Reference pieces and kit formats
| Item | Material | Reference size or contents | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small spoon | PP | 115x31 mm, 1.1 g | Desserts, sauces, sides |
| Standard spoon | PP | 136x32 mm, 1.6 g | Rice, soups, noodles |
| Wrapped kit | PP cutlery, paper napkin, toothpick, OPP wrap | Per kit specification | Delivery bags outside the EU |
| Wooden kit | Wood cutlery, napkin, paper or film wrap | Per kit specification | EU delivery and catering |
Gram weight matters more than it looks. A heavier spoon resists bending in a thick rice dish; a lighter one ships more pieces per carton. The weight belongs on every quotation so offers can be compared like for like.
The EU single-use plastics ban
The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive 2019/904 has banned single-use plastic cutlery, plates, straws and stirrers from the EU market since 3 July 2021. The ban covers chemically modified bio-based plastics too, so PLA and CPLA cutlery count as plastic and are not a way around it. For EU buyers the desk therefore offers wooden cutlery kits or other routes that fit the directive, and does not quote PP or PLA cutlery for EU delivery. Rules outside the EU differ by country, state and city, so buyers should confirm the rules for each destination with their counsel before a kit specification is fixed. The SUPD note sets out the scope in more detail.
Material and food contact
PP cutlery is made with food contact grade PP per supplier declaration, documented to FDA 21 CFR 177.1520 for the United States and, where the market allows plastic cutlery, to the relevant national rules. Wooden cutlery falls under the EU framework Regulation 1935/2004 and needs its own declaration, with attention to surface finish, splinters and moisture. Napkins and wraps are part of the food contact file as well, since they sit next to the cutlery. Declarations and reports are issued to partner plants or your brand per project and verified by the desk; see the compliance guide.
Wrapping, print and checks
Kits are sealed in clear OPP film or a paper pouch. A printed pouch carries the brand and can be produced from 10,000-50,000 kits per design as a typical reference range. Inspection covers piece weight, breakage in a simple bend check, burrs on the edges, seal integrity of the wrap, kit count and carton count, with the test plan agreed per order. The wooden versus plastic kits note compares feel, cost factors and compliance.
Matching kits to containers and packing
A kit is specified against the food it serves. A long 136 mm spoon reaches the bottom of a deep soup cup or round tub; the 115 mm spoon suits dessert cups and sauce pots. Restaurant programs often pair one kit with one container footprint so the kitchen packs the same bag every time. Cutlery is light and dense compared with nested containers, so it fills spare volume in a mixed carton plan and rarely drives freight cost on its own. Kits are counted per carton on the packing list, and the carton count is checked before shipment like any other line. See packaging and palletizing.
Ordering
Stock kits start from 1-10 mixed cartons; printed pouches and custom kit contents take typically 15-30 days, all confirmed in writing for each program on MOQ and lead time. Send the destination markets, the kit contents and the monthly volume through the quote form. The desk returns the right kit route for each market, with reference weights and the documents behind them.