Recently, I was asked to try out reusable, biodegradable plates made from only leaves and water. Just leaves and water? And reusable? This caught my interest. They’re made by a company called Verterra that bases its name on a Latin term meaning “true to the Earth”.
The plates are made with 3 different kinds of leaves that would normally have been burned on the side of the road. The outer layer provides water resistance from leaves with a thick wax cuticle. The next layer uses leaves that absorbs moisture and the middle contains leaves with sap. When you put them all together with a little steam, heat, and pressure, it makes for plates that are durable and usable up to about 8-10 times with a quick wash of warm soap and water. Their site does say, however, that tomato sauces and beets can stain the plates, which I did find to be true after using some salad dressing with sun dried tomatoes.
Other interesting features of the plates are:
- All natural, chemical and bleach free
- Non-toxic
- No plastics or waxes
- 100% compostable
- Made of 100% renewable plant materials
- Biodegrades naturally in 2 months
- Microwave, oven and refrigerator-safe
- No trees are cut down–made from only fallen leaves
The plates come in different shapes and sizes that range from packs of 10 or 12 from $8.99 – $12.99. So yes, they are more expensive than your ordinary paper plates but they’re a lot more Earth friendly, use safer materials, biodegrade in about 2 months, and are made by a company that provides hundreds of fair-wage jobs in developing regions in South Asia. So the next time you’re planning a BBQ, picnic or hiking trip, you now have an alternative to often wax or paraffin coated disposables that look beautiful and really make an eco-statement.
