Reusable Cutlery Handcut From Recycled Plastic Bottles

Any self-respecting greenie knows that disposable cutlery is definitely a no-no for our environment.

Truth be told, the only time that disposable knives, forks and spoons are ever mentioned in this community is when they're made of eco-friendly materials or at the very least, when they are constructively or creatively repurposed.

Bearing all of these things in mind, it is worth addressing the work of Spanish designer Oscar Diaz.

His design entry, part of an exhibit at London's Idea Generation Gallery, was created by transforming typical materials from our disposable culture into items that have long term permanence.

Diaz' series of handmade cutlery pieces, called "Found", were crafted by cutting simple shapes out of the sides of assorted plastic bottles and then hand-plating them in metal.

Following the natural contours of readily available containers like water bottles and liquid soap dispensers, the designer traced a cutlery pattern onto the side of each with a black magic marker and then cut them out with a blade.

Once he had all of his plastic "blanks" in order, he then dipped each in liquified copper and then finally in tin.

Due to the individualized nature of this effort and the fact that every aspect is accomplished by hand, the sets that he produces are one-of-a-kind.

It definitely made me sit up and take notice, not because I'm particularly into the style of the cutlery, but because I appreciate how Diaz transformed something common (plastic bottles) into something with more practicality, beauty and permanence.

Hooray for recycling!