Ecologic Sustainable Tableware For Your Holiday Fiestas
by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 11.18.08
Image source: Ecologic Products
Not that we are advocating for a throw-away culture, but if you happen to be hosting a holiday party and have more guests than tableware, why not try the Ecologic tableware made from 100% organic plant fiber. The bowls and plates are made to last for years, but are healthy enough that they can be thrown in your compost bin when you are done.
More images after the jump.
Made with 100% organic fiber (mostly bamboo) and non-toxic resins, the bowls won't ruin your yard or compost soil when you dispose of them. The bowls and plates look like high-end dark wood. The tableware is packaged in post-consumer packaging and printed with soy inks. Not to worry, the tableware is all FDA approved so its safe to put food on and contains no lead.
You can purchase pieces in 2 and 4 piece sets including plates, salad plates and bowls. Items come in a natural wood color or a mocha wood color. Ecologic designed the tableware to be ecological but also affordable so all of the bowls and plates retail for roughly $8-10 USD a piece, but come in sets of 2 or 4. The makers of Ecologic products also recommend that you can use the tableware to pot plants in or find some other crafty reuse project before just launching them into your compost bin to become worm food.
Ecologic is a member of 1% For the Planet and supports groups like Global Green USA and The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. Eco Collection can be purchased at Amazon.com, Greenfeet.com and the econsciousmarket.com. Two-piece bowl sets retail for $16.99 and the 4 piece dinner plates retail for $39.99. :Ecologic::Ecologic Blog
More on Compostable Tableware
Compostable Tableware...Or Not
TH Forums: Recyclable vs Biodegradable vs Compostable?
Recycled Tableware by BellandVision
Greenwash Watch: Wasara Paperware
When Disposable Plates are Green
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Or,
If design is not the be-all-end-all of your party you can go to Goodwill, for the price of one or two of these complete placesettings buy a big stack of china and glasses and cloth napkins and use that. Will last as long as you don't drop them on the floor.
Invest in a few sets of quality flatware to use for parties, even if they don't all match, at a Tuesday Morning sale, which sells things leftover or discontinued at big chain stores, for a quarter of the price.
You've got your partyware for life (as long as you have a place to keep it -- we keep ours in the garage).
If it's a potluck, get everyone to bring their own non-disposable place settings including cloth napkins. Adds interest.
After all, the party is in the people, the music, the food. That everything doesn't match can be compensated for with other live decorations like flowers, greens, drawings, creativity, etc.
There! you're keeping stuff out of the landfill and having a blast creating that way.
Agreed!
Even though the Ecologic Products are made of environmentally approved materials, they still endorse a disposable society. Disposable is not Treehugger friendly.
Julia's recommendations for buying extras is fine, you could help keep something out of the landfills by joining a Freecycle group in your vicinity. If you get some plain dinnerware you can always dress it up with glass paints and various other crafting materials that are food safe.
If you don't have the storage space to keep the extras around for next time, pass them along to someone else. Plenty of people on limited budgets or out of work would love to have your second generation dinnerware.
As for Ecologic Products' concept....marketing fad. Taking advantage of social concerns while adding to the basic problems is not earth friendly.
Many thanks to those who offered their comments to our latest Treehugger.com feature.
Unfortunately, most of the tableware available today is manufactured using unsustainable methods and contain many toxins. Ceramic tableware has been listed as the #1 source of lead in the human body. I created EcoLogic Products to make a difference, and we have done so by donating a portion of all sales to likeminded nonprofit groups such as Global Green USA and The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Our product is made with reclaimed plant fibers and earth based resins using sustainable production methods. Many of the raw materials we utilize would in fact be incinerated or burned- creating harmful CO2 emissions in our atmosphere. Our aim is to create viable, sustainable, products we can use everyday to make a difference.
Many thanks for everyone's outstanding support.
Feel free to check out our story @ http://www.ecologicproducts.com
Hi,
totally agree with both points of view on the whole disposable tableware adding to a throw away society, but have to agree with ecological products on this. I myself have a similar company in the uk which produces disposable tableware from palm leaf. What I have found out is that the average person will carry on using disposables, and the average person is a huge chunk of the population. I would like to think that myself and ecological products are trying give a greener option to these people. But in saying that ecological products are still very pricey compared what i have. I am trying to provide a greener option at a price which is more competitve with the plastic,paper and other so-called ecofriendly disposables.
if people are interested in what we are trying to achieve please feel free to look at www.thewholeleafco.com