You may have noticed that a new law came into effect on July 3. This concerns the SUP legislation that combats plastic pollution. This law prohibits the sale of plastic plates, straws, cutlery, and stirrers, among other things. Fortunately, there are plenty of beautiful and sustainable alternatives to these plastic products. In this article, we will take you into the world of more sustainable disposables.
What are the alternatives?
As indicated above, there are plenty of more sustainable alternatives to plastic disposables. Think of disposables made of cardboard, paper, bamboo, palm leaves, wood, and PLA. Each of the materials mentioned has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is important to know which material is suitable for your products. Below we provide you with more information about the materials we use for our sustainable disposables.
Paper and cardboard
Everyone know paper and cardboard, but there are still various choices you can make. Perhaps common sense, but trees need to be cut down to make cardboard and paper. This is something we cannot prevent, but we can deal with it responsibly and environmentally consciously. This is precisely why we strive to offer only disposables made of Kraft paper or with the FSC® label. Of course, this also applies to our wooden disposables. Products that meet the FSC® guidelines are made from wood from responsibly managed forest areas. This helps to prevent deforestation, which is important for reducing CO2 emissions and combating climate change. When trees are cut down, FSC® takes into account humans and animals. The forest is divided into sections and trees are harvested in a different section each year so that the forest can recover well.
Bamboo
Many of our picks and stirrers are made of bamboo. Bamboo is a plant species that grows very quickly and is often seen as a weed. The plant produces new stems every year that shoot up quickly. To make products from the stems, the hollow stems are cut into rectangular and flat strips. These strips are joined together, with the natural grain structure visible. Disposables made of bamboo are strong, hard, and light. They are also tasteless, moisture, oil, and freezer-resistant, and suitable for use in the oven and microwave up to 200°C. Many of our materials are fully compostable, and this also applies to bamboo. Moreover, bamboo is renewable due to the plant's rapid growth.
Palm leaf
Palm leaf products are made from the waste that is generated during the growth process of palm trees. This concerns the leaves that have fallen off the tree. The palm loses its leaves several times a year during growth. The leaves are then collected, washed, and dried. The dried leaves are finally formed into beautiful bowls and plates. Previously, nothing was done with the fallen leaves, or they were even burned. This is a shame because the material has many possibilities. The beauty of palm leaf disposables? Each product is unique because simply every leaf is unique.
PLA (Corn starch)
PLA is a biodegradable plastic derived from crops such as corn and sugarcane. The glucose is extracted from the crop and then fermented. This produces lactic acid, which is then processed into polymer. Eventually, our disposables are made from this. The difference with 'traditional' plastic? It lies in the raw material.
Sugarcane (Bagasse)
Bagasse is the waste from sugarcane plants that remains after the sugar has been extracted from the plants. Instead of throwing away or burning the sugarcane stalks, the pulp is made into a paper-like substance. Bagasse can be molded into various shapes and products that are perfect for packaging food products. Our sugarcane disposables are thus free of plastic and made of renewable products. Besides that, they are food safe and taste neutral.
Disposables of sustainable materials
In addition to the above materials, there are more sustainable raw materials that are used for our disposables. Think of sugarcane and rPET. Are you looking for sustainable disposables for your range? View our entire product range.