Disposable Plates, Cups, & Cutlery

It can be challenging to find sustainable non-plastic options for disposable cups, cutlery, and plates, especially when it comes to hosting meetings and events. As with most disposable items, companies will use as many buzz words as they can to get you to believe their product matches the environmental values that are important to you. For example, the company ECOLipak claims on Amazon that their cups are "100% natural, sustainable, and biodegradable," "can be composted in a commercial facility; it only takes 3-6 months," "made of 100% natural plant-based sustainable materials," "eco-friendly," "Earth-conscious," "plastic-free," "without fear of harming the planet," and that "The leaves-printed disposable paper cups demonstrate man and nature in harmony." These buzz words mean nothing if the product is not certified.

With this in mind, you should consider companies that are certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and/or the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). BPI-certified indicates that the product is certified to be compostable at least in an industrial facility (more on this in a future article), while there are some companies that manufacture products that are also compostable in home compost bins (see table below). FSC-certified ensures that the products are sourced from trees or other plants that were grown and harvested using responsible forestry practices. As one example, MayTree is a company that sells cups meeting both certification requirements, though their cups are not certified for home composting. Other companies that sell certified plates, cups, and/or cutlery, many of which can be found on Amazon, are listed in the following table.

Care must be taken when purchasing any of these products, especially cutlery; they should be sufficiently strong and effective to perform their intended function. Therefore, finding the brand that works best may involve some trial and error.

Company	Product	Material	FSC-cert.	BPI-cert.	Home Compost?
EcoSmart by Dixie	plates	100% recycled fiber paper & coating	yes	no	no
ECO SOUL	plates & cups	sugarcane	no	yes	yes
"	cups, cutlery & straws	corn starch	no	yes	yes
Ecovita	cutlery	corn	no	yes	no
"	cutlery	bamboo	yes	no	no
"	plates	sugarcane & bamboo	no	yes	no
Gezond	plates	sugarcane	yes	yes	yes
"	cutlery	corn starch	yes	yes	yes
MayTree	cups	paper & plant-based coating	yes	yes	no
Stackman	plates, food trays & clamshells	sugarcane	no	yes	no
Woodable	cutlery	bamboo	yes	no	no

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Hints & Habits

If there is a need for disposable food ware, especially if it for a large event or meeting, purchase products that are certified to be compostable as well as sustainably sourced. Consider products listed in the table above. If you know of other companies not mentioned here, please feel free to send a response with their names and the types of products they sell.