Recyclable and dispensable hygienic cutlery utensil. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a handle portion and head portion. The handle portion provides suitable area for gripping and includes a chamfer on its outer edge for facilitating a predictable release from a utensil dispenser. The head portion is formed into the shape of a common cutlery utensil such as: knife with large radius, tapered knife with large radius, spoon, set of tines (fork), and spoon-fork combination, to name a few. The head portion also includes an escapement feature in its outer edge for facilitating controlled release from the bottom of a stack of utensils. The escapement feature can include a notch or predetermined release radius. Typically in use, a set of utensils is stacked, forming a cartridge which is then inserted into an automated dispensing system.