I avoid paper and plastic toss out dishes like the plague. For my children’s parties I search Goodwill for china and other tableware. However, I have still purchased toss out dishes when I don’t have a reasonable alternative. So, I was thrilled to be introduced to Sweet Table while visiting my sustainable friend, Meg.
We actually used these dishes so I can say they are sturdy and held up well to food. They are made from a waste product- the pulp left over from sugar cane. These dishes are compostable and will return to the earth in 90 days. They are also safe for use in the microwave and freezer.
Sweet Table products are cost effective (less than their heavy weight competitors) and will help reduce a portion of the 73 billion foam and 190 billion plastic containers thrown out every year.
The downside- they are made in China, so they log a lot of miles to reach our kitchens and they are only avaliable at limited retailers right now.
If you must use one time use dishes, grab a pack of these and load it up with healthy goodness, when you are finished, toss it into the compost pile or bin with your scraps.
Eat Well. Be Well.
Jamie Ervin
Being green comes naturally for Jamie, a Native Oregonian. Educated at Oregon State University she is now a UofO Ducks fan, but remains true to her Alma Mater, the Beavers. Jamie lives vicariously through her husband, a developer of shoes for little feet, who travels the world over and prays she doesn't blog about him. She is the mother to five children, aged 4-16 and a Registered Daycare Provider. Her long term goals include traveling Asia, completing her first novel, obtaining her Master's Degree in English Lit and Education, in addition, Jamie would love to start a natural household and body product line, or maybe just pour some (organic soy) candles. Visit Jamie's personal blog, Looks Good In Polka Dots where it's not just about mothering, gluten free cooking and socially conscious living.
2 Responses to Sweet Table: Environmentally Sustainable Disposable Dishes
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Martin is right about using the byproduct (bagasse) as a fuel for the sugar cane processing instead of sending it to China only to be manufactured into throw-away plates and sent back to the US. Not to mention all the energy, chemicals and water it must take to manufacture them. In a life-cycle perspective (cradle to grave of products), they might (but maybe not) be better than the traditional styrofoam or plastic alternatives, but it’s the disposable mentality that we need to ditch, not just look for less horrible substitutes for our “disposables”.
It really is a shame that these are made in China. They are a byproduct of sugar cane processing and sugarcane is grown in Louisiana, Florida, Texas and Hawaii.
I have to question the sustainability argument for these plates. I went to read a bit about sugar cane processing and saw that the standard practice has been to use the fibrous portion as fuel, making the process virtually self sufficient with regard to energy. Taking that fuel out of the mix and sending it to China to be made into disposable plates doesn’t make much sense.