biodegradable cutleryby laurie |
Looking to have a ton of people over but don’t have enough cutlery to go around? Really don’t want to buy plastic and toss it into the garbage after knowing it’s just going to end up in a landfill?
Check out this biodegradable cutlery. Made from potato starch, it’s not only biodegradable, you can compost it, too – it completely breaks down in three to six weeks. And while the price is somewhat higher, isn’t it worth it for never having to rely on petroleum-based plastic knives, forks and spoons again?
Available at: www.grassrootsstore.com
Price: $5.99 (package of 50)
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Tags: biodegradable, compostable, cutlery, picnic
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That’s still a fantastic price point - just a little over a dime a piece is still very reasonable. I love Grassroots… I hope they come out with a holiday Gift Guide soon like they did last year… It was PACKED with amazing green gear.
There’s also a lot of nice looking birchwood cutlery for sale in stores like Pier One these days. And, I found this fantastic stuff at Conran online:
http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?language=en-US&cid=Cutlery&pid=28248
Love it, Dana! Just wonder: how the heck do you clean it? I mean, is it meant to just be thrown out after one use? I don’t think so…If anyone has an answer, let me know!
Cheers,
Laurie
Makes me wonder why I have to pick up Tim Horton’s lids when I wander through the forest. Why can’t Tim’s lids be made like this??
It’s true! I think they’d likely be more expensive…sigh. I for one would pay more, but I’m betting many wouldn’t…
Hi -
Fundamentally the idea is great. Problem is that they likely will end up in a landfill and no, they don’t degrade. They - like traditional plastic cutlery - will be in that landfill in a 1000 years.
We have a new product called Transitions2Earth made with Ecopure. First to the market and brand new but it allows our cutlery to 100% breakdown in a landfill. Tested and certified it is truly the last disposable cutlery that will not out live you.
And price point is a fraction of the food starch type. check it out - they are well worth the notice.
http://superbiodegradablecutlery.com/
Eric
Hi Eric,
I’m curious: where do you get your info? Can you provide proof?
Laurie
Hi Laurie -
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you - I just came back across the post.
You bet! We have all the test data that meets ASTM standards that shows our biodegradability. Regarding food starch versions not being biodegradable I should qualify that - they won’t biodegrade in an anaerobic environment like a landfill. They require oxygen to biodegrade which a landfill has very little. Transitions2Earth is made to biodegrade in the landfills through microbes.
The discussion of aerobic vs. anaerobic biodegradability is pretty easy information to find on the web and supported through a number of independent sources.
I hope that helps!
Eric
To follow-up here is a great article on why compostalbe cutlery is not a good option.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/09/compostable-and-biodegradable-plastics-false-security.php
Eric