Tag: Sugarcane

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5 Things I Thought About Sugarcane Tableware

Sugarcane Tableware… Sell it and Love it

When the sugarcane tableware first arrived I thought there had been a mistake. Maybe the company had sent me the wrong boxes. They were a lot more rigid than I expected. But then I didn’t know what a plate or bowl would look or feel like. Made from non-woody sugarcane fibres that are the by-product from the juice extraction process. These five points form my thoughts around my first experiences with compostable plates and bowls.

  • They are so sturdy. Even after 30 minutes spent covered in salad dressing they were rigid enough to not flex much. You could carry them around one handed easily, even when they are piled high with food.
  • They aren’t very colourful. Yes, I agree they look boring but you can jazz them up with bright coloured accessories.
  • If you are entertaining children they are excellent to draw on with felt tip. My daughter used an 8oz bowl to make a hat.
  • They didn’t blow around as much as paper plates do in the breeze. I put this down to the fact they are slightly heavier.
  • It seems totally bizarre to dump them on your compost heap afterwards but it made for fast clearing up.

I have used them several times while entertaining. I’m a convert. There will be no more paper plates in this house. I’m even considering using them for certain craft, anything that doesn’t involve glitter or glue lol. Not sure my compost heap would like glitter being added.

In fact the sugarcane tableware provides quite a talking point about plastic pollution. This is one small way we can help reduce the plastic footprint we leave behind on the earth. One of my favourite quotes explains why I am making such an effort. Gaylord Nelson has got it spot on.

Tableware Gaylord Nelson Quote

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Why Sugarcane Plates?

Why Sugarcane Tableware?

Sugarcane fibres are a natural by-product of extracting the juice from the sugarcane. The waste fibres are usually incinerated but there is an increasing trend to using the fibres to form disposable party supplies. Why do I love sugarcane plates so much?

You can home compost! A domestic compost heap doesn’t reach the high temperatures of a commercial system. This means that some substances labelled as compostable won’t compost properly in a domestic compost heap. A good example is biodegradable plastic or PLA. Although clear PLA glasses are biodegradable they will not degrade successfully in your home compost heap.

Sugarcane (or Bagasse) has similar compostable properties to paper and cardboard. If conditions are right in your heap (not too wet and warm enough) it will completely degrade in months. No more hours spent at the sink washing up or endless loads in the dishwasher. You put it all on the compost heap and use it years later to feed your garden.

Dont forget it isn’t just sugarcane plates but bowls and other tableware supplies too.

At Eco Infinity we are trying to encourage home composting. It reduces the waste collected by your council, enriches your garden and is the most environmentally friendly way of disposing of your waste.