Disposable Kitchenware in India for a Sustainable Kitchen

Building a sustainable kitchen is a prerequisite for a sustainable life.

As the world faces a pandemic and understands the importance of nature, the mantra of Sustainability is being repeated. 

Over the years, sustainable kitchen ideas have gained momentum but most of this remains marred in packaging solutions and growing your own food along with reducing your food generating energy consumption.

However, the essence of reduce, reuse and recycle that we need to follow to build a sustainable kitchen and a sustainable goes much beyond organic food and composting.

The stress on Eco-friendly disposables specially disposable cutlery and tableware are of primary importance here as the massive plastic waste is choking the planet. 

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Plastic Pollution from Disposable Plates

According to a Central Pollution Control report, India creates 3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste every year and much of this comes from disposable plates and tableware. 

The food industry is the primary source of plastic waste in the country along with the medical waste. This plastic ends up in the ocean and in the landfill ultimately getting into the food chain via marine organisms which eventually enters our system. 

So, in reality the food that we eat in the form of animals and plants are nothing but micro-plastic filled cyborgs generated from the disposal food containers of Styrofoam and plastic.  

The Problem of Recycling

You might argue that these disposable kitchenware and tableware are quite economical to use and you recycle them most of the time.

Well, you might dump them in the recycle bins for it to be recycled but only 60% of India’s plastic waste gets recycled. The rest 40% which still remains in our water and land taking 400 years to decompose. 

So, a huge quantity can’t be recycled and enters our system. In fact, our rivers which our principal source of food and livelihood in the country are littered with tons of these disposable tableware plastics. 

Reports highlight that the Ganga – Bramhaputra river is littered with more than half of the total plastic waste while the Indus in the Ladakh region has 164,000 tons.

This is being consumed by the marine beings and other produce in the river area which we are ultimately consuming. 

Styrofoam and plastic is entering our body through the polluted food that we are eating turning out to be quite harmful for us.

Several states in the US and even other countries in the West are turning away from this. They have named Styrofoam and plastic disposable food containers and replaced it with Eco-friendly ones. 

Types of Eco- Friendly Disposable Kitchenware

While we are many years away from completely banning plastic and Styrofoam disposable food containers and kitchenware from our lives though people are slowly starting to look for other alternatives. 

Here are some Eco-friendly disposable kitchenware and tableware that can make your kitchen more sustainable –

1. Bamboo Kitchenware :

Disposable plates, containers, cutlery and kitchenware like bottles, jars, bowls etc made up of bamboo are extremely Eco-friendly and reduces carbon footprint.

Bamboo products are quite durable and you can reuse them for 1-2 years. You can increase their longevity by oiling them with natural oils like coconut oil. They can be easily washed and cleaned with soap and water, making it a sustainable kitchenware. 

2. Coconut Kitchenware:

Quite an uncommon disposable kitchenware and tableware solution, Coconut Kitchenware products like bowls and plates are quite artistic and Eco-friendly in nature.

They can be easily cleaned and reused, and often act as a good solution for travelers. 

3. Seaweed Kitchenware:

Sustainable kitchenware made with seaweed HAS the most Eco-friendly ideas for the kitchen. These durable products are 100% natural and degrades in 90 days.

It is produced from marine algae and pulp which reduces the raw materials cost by 30% and energy used for production by 80%.

Such is their success story that seaweeds are now being used to produce glass that can makes Eco-friendly glass containers. 

4. Areca Leaf Disposable Kitchenware:

Areca leaf disposable plates and containers are made from the sheath of betel nut trees which have dried and fallen off. They are 100% Eco-friendly and decays to form a compost in 60 days.

Although they are meant for one time use, they can be reused for a couple of more times. However, their biggest advantage is that they can be turned into a compost and manure for your plants and garden.

Thus it acts in a two ways to make your kitchen sustainable. Banana and Palm leaf disposable plates have similar benefits although they aren’t that durable. 

5. Sugarcane Disposable Kitchenware: 

Bagasse sugarcane are processed and treated to produce sugarcane disposable plates and kitchenware.

They are Eco-friendly and biodegradable but their production requires a substantial use of land, raw materials and energy, making it less carbon neutral than others.

However, it is quite reusable and can be reduced for days and when you are done with it you can degrade it into small pieces mix with other biological materials to make a compost.

It takes about 45-60 days to completely decompose and hence can be used for composting. 

6. Eatable Kitchenware – the Ultimate Solution

Those were the Eco-friendly disposable kitchenware often used by people but they still require certain time period to degrade. 

Wouldn’t it be exciting, if you could destroy it instantly?

Say instead of bacteria eating the disposable plates and cutlery and turning them to compost, how about you eating them?

Yes, disposable kitchenware that you can eat. Like the food, you can chomp down the edible spoon or fork in your hand.

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EdiblePRO – 

Bangalore based sustainable tableware company EdiblePRO has thought just that.

They have created edible cutlery rich in proteins and fiber. So whether your children are eating a chocolate ice cream or a bowl of soup they will get their protein content unknowingly as they happily chew on the edible spoons. 

Their mission and values state manufacturing and marketing Edible Cutlery products which are environmental-friendly, bio-degradable, no plastic contributing to Swacch Bharat Abhiyan.

The edible cutlery is made of millet and lentils along with other grains and spices, making it the most sustainable kitchen solution. 

They have edible utility bowls, savory flavored spoons and now, edible beverage cups are on its way.

This solves the problem of disposable food containers altogether making way for a more sustainable kitchen with zero wastage and hygiene.

So now you know why these Eco-friendly disposable kitchenware and tableware are important for your kitchen.

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