The trend of using bamboo in fabrics for homewares and kitchenware has increased in recent years. Partly due to its status as an ethical and sustainable resource, but also because of its versatility and natural feel.
You can extend these eco-friendly credentials by recycling and/or composting, but can you reuse bamboo plates?
(Looking to buy replacement plates or bamboo party plates? Skip to our favourite sellers: bamboo plates)
Eco Friendly and sustainable
The reason you’re even looking at switching to bamboo is of course the fact that its usage, growth and manufacturing process have far less of an impact on the planet than other sources.
Unlike wood, bamboo doesn’t require any additional fertilizers or pesticides to grow and can regenerate itself from the roots. This means no replanting which means less machinery and fewer resources such as oil and gas required in order to produce it.
Bamboo also absorbs almost 30% more carbon dioxide than other plants and trees, including cotton.
Can you reuse bamboo plates?
Yes, you can reuse them many times depending on their construction.
Some are intended to be semi-disposable and replace paper or plastic plates, others are intended for full-time use at home and replace china and earthenware plates.
Can bamboo plates go in the dishwasher?
Those intended to be disposable can be damaged by prolonged contact with water so washing them briefly in soapy water by hand is the best method.
Dry them immediately afterwards to prolong their life.
Are bamboo plates good for kids?
These non-plastic, no BPA bamboo plates are great for children.
No more worrying if the plastic is leeching toxins into their food and the plates are super lightweight and as sturdy as most plastic alternatives.
You can even get bamboo cutlery for children too and ditch all the plastics for your kids.
How to recycle a bamboo plate
Once your plates are worn out and old, they can be fully recycled, or even composted. Yes, bamboo plates are compostable.
The good news is that most bamboo items are biodegradable, even if that means taking some care to remove the non-biodegradable parts first (the top-selling bamboo jeans from BAM have a button which unscrews and no rivets to make it easier to recycle this way).
You may need to remove buttons, elastics or zips depending on the item of clothing being composted (Or be prepared to be fishing out these items from your compost heap in a year’s time!)
You might ask whether you can do this with any all-natural fibres and you’d be correct, but as explained earlier in this article, bamboo also has some additional ecological and ethical advantages over cotton, linen or hemp garments.
Bamboo items typically take around one year to decompose in an active and maintained compost heap or bin.
What is it made of?
Double check that your bamboo plate is 100% bamboo before tossing it into your compost heap.
Unfortunately, some plates are mixed with other fibres which makes composting difficult.
So when buying your plates, ensure you opt for the 100% bamboo kind.
Preparation.
Bamboo plates will compost far quicker if they’re broken into smaller pieces.
This increases the surface area and enables your compost heap to work more efficiently.
So just as if you were adding sticks to increase aeration, using pieces of bamboo plates will work the same way.
Composting
You can opt to put your bamboo plates into your own home composter in which case you’re looking at 6 months to a year for them to break down.
Alternatively, you can place them in your green garden waste bin to be commercially composted by your local authorities.
If you don’t already have a home compost option, check out this video on how to start.
How to make bamboo items last longer.
Let’s face it, the best way to be less wasteful is to make the stuff we have last longer before we need to recycle or compost them.
Taking care when washing and drying your bamboo plates will make them last longer.
Looking to switch2bamboo for plates?
Palermo Concepts Plates
Say Goodbye to Flimsy, Unreliable Paper Party Plates – Whilst Helping Save the Planet Too!
When we think of virtually any special occasion involving food, plastic or paper cutlery is often the first thing that comes to mind. But not only is this incredibly harmful to the environment, it’s rare to find disposable cutlery that’s robust, waterproof and fully biodegradable and compostable.
But with this impressive 25-pack of disposable wood plates and disposable wood cutlery, you’ll be doing your bit to help the environment – without compromising on style or function.
Children’s segmented bamboo dinner plate
The Tiny Dining range of Bamboo Plates is the mealtime revolution that beleaguered parents have been waiting for, with innovative “stay put” suction technology that keeps them fixed to the tabletop, immune to the impact of flailing little limbs.
Each dish has been expertly crafted from natural bamboo fibres, providing incredible strength and resilience while also enjoying all the inherent anti-bacterial and anti-microbial qualities of the bamboo plant.
Perfectly designed for meals at all times of day, the segmented design of this plate allows you to keep foods separated for easy feeding, while the heat-resistant properties of bamboo keep tiny fingers protected should they reach out and touch the sides.
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