If we were to gather all the plastic thrown away in one year, we would have enough to circle the earth 4 times. This translates in bottles, cups, dinnerware, bags and the list can continue. More importantly, it translates into pollution. How?
- Plastic disintegrates completely in 500-1000 years
- Every year, plastic kills approximately 1 million sea birds and thousands of marine animals
- Plastic components can affect our health and alter our hormones
With so many damaging effects, it’s curious why we still keep using objects made of plastic. We’re used to it or we don’t know of other alternatives. It’s easy to grab a plastic disposable plate, use it and then just throw it away. But what would it be like if we chose eco-friendly disposable products?
- Easy to use and practical
You can use disposable products if you are throwing a party, making a buffet at home or you just want to eat something. - Don’t need to worry about washing them
The beauty about these products is that you can throw them away after you’ve used them. You can forget about the unpleasant process of washing your dishes.
The environment will also thank you. No dish washing means no detergents entering the water, which means the water is not contaminated and the aquatic flora and fauna is not affected.
But here’s the big question: what do you choose to throw away: plastic or eco-friendly materials?
Eco-friendly disposable products
In order to understand this subject better, let’s look at a few examples of eco-friendly disposable products:
- eco-friendly disposable bamboo plates
- biodegradable bags
- biodegradable eating utensils (spoons, forks, chopsticks, knifes)
The power of eco-friendly disposable bamboo plates
Let’s focus more on the first item. Eco-friendly disposable bamboo plates are a great alternative to plastic ones.
Imagine you have invited some of your friends over and you cooked a delicious food. You now have to decide on what you are going to serve it: plastic or bamboo plates. Do you want to arrange your food on some cheap plastic plates or on some nice-looking bamboo ones? The second ones are a better option from the design and environmental point of view.
Bamboo is known for being an eco-friendly material. What you need to know is that it is not wood, but grass. It grows really fast, as it can reach 100 cm in 24 hours. This way, it can be harvested every 4-5 years and can grow back without the need of being replanted. It can provide enough material to replace wood and plastic, saving thousands of trees and reducing the plastic production.
Besides the material they are made from, disposable bamboo plates can have other advantages as well:
- require less manufacturing energy
- are not toxic for the environment
- are biodegradable (break down in carbon dioxide, water, and biomass in approximately 4-6 months)
- have a better aspect than plastic ones
In what concerns the price, they are a little more expensive than plastic plates. However, when you buy them, think of the following aspects. A plastic plate (together with its toxic components) can remain on this planet for almost a millennium, while a bamboo one is gone in less than half a year. You take care of the environment, your health and do not support the plastic industry.
Eco-friendly disposable bamboo plates are a great alternative to plastic products. Being composed of non-harming and non-toxic components and having a nice aspect, they represent a must in every green kitchen.
Here are 3 suggestions you can choose from.