[...] disposable dishes a flip of the wrist — and not into the trash can bound for the landfill. We Heart World has given the VerTerra compostable dishware the thumbs-up approval. We Heart World says: With [...]

They look great, and that’s really a neat idea. The thing is, while they don’t make waste when you dispose of them, it still takes energy and resources to make them. It’s easy to focus on what happens to things after we buy them, and ignore the process of them creating them in the first place, but that’s also an important part of how “green” things really are.

This is such a spectacular idea! Thank you very much for sharing this, I’m so glad to have seen this page.
I would LOVE to replace my mother’s disposable dishware with these beautiful products.

In india people have been using disposables for serving lunch and dinner that are made up of leaves since ages (still in use) and since they are leaves they are bio-degradable. Also since its leaves that is being used they don’t necessarily kill the trees. No wonder Mike was inspired by that Indian lady.

thats a good idea but since im always camping here and there thru the year, i’ll stick to the leaves because they have that fresh scent and that i don’t have to carry them since i just find them when i need them……….. But i have 2 say thats the best looking disposable dishes i’ve ever seen and when i tried them, they were up to the task. Thnx Verterra

[...] disposable dishes a flip of the wrist — and not into the trash can bound for the landfill. We Heart World has given the VerTerra compostable dishware the thumbs-up approval. We Heart World says: With [...]

Wow, what a thorough article, thanks! I consult for Verterra, and can answer (or find out) any questions you’ve got.

Emily, you bring up a good point, it is important that more than just one aspect of a product be considered when evaluating how green it is. In the case of Verterra, the leaves are fallen Palm leaves, that would otherwise have been thrown out or even burned. The actually manufacturing process is extremely efficient, and as the CEO likes to say, the factory uses slightly more than his NYC apartment.

Karonay, how practical of you! For those of us a with a little less hearty digestive systems, Verterra plates are UV sterilized.

Quite a concept!

what’s about “grandma” plates?
They can have 50 years or more ;-)) of courses u have to clean them after using them…
If we want a clean planet, there are many ideas in the “past”…

e

what a bunch of bs, i’m definitely an environmentalist and am getting a degree in sustainable appropriate technology and i’ve done a lot of research on biodegradable and compostable products like these, and what they don’t tell you is that they’ll compost if the temperature is above 140 for numerous weeks, and most people’s compost piles don’t get that hot, there are only about four places in the whole u.s. that accept residential food scraps and such for composting that get that hot for that long, also they don;t want them because it changes the acidity of the compost. doesn’t it seem weird to anyone that they don;t break down in the microwave or oven, but will after 2 months of being outside, i’ve tested many products like this and they remain the same when under normal air temperature conditions outside for months and months. this is just an excuse for people to waste more stuff that has to be produced and shipped to you, takes away the guilt of throwing things away, when we should just use less stuff.

For picnics, parties and other occasions where you might need plates that won’t be easily broken, these seem like a great idea, but I think it’s pretty obvious that the idea of using them day to day in your house is massively environmentally unsound. Most people don’t use disposable plates in the house, so to suggest these for every day use it to suggest a move from plates that get re-used time and time again to plates that have a much shorter life span, which is a really bad idea. As Emily says, it’s not just about them composting after the event it’s about the energy used to manufacture them. It might be a really efficient process as the company rep states, but it’s not as efficient as just re-using normal plates over and over again.

In addition to all the other great comments, these are a wonderful option for parties and events where people would otherwise be throwing away a bunch of plates made from virgin paper or plastic.

This is great I’d love to sell these on my site and in the retail outlet I will open next year in Honduras. My website is http://www.evergreenroatan.com and the farm site is http://www.splitzvillefarm.com I will also put up a page about this on my blog: Howtogogreen which can be found on wordpress or by searching google.

@ela, The times they quote are actually longer than they take in industrial settings, meant to represent consumer level, less efficient composting. According to Tom Kimmerer, a Twitter friend of mine who is a PhD in Botany and Forestry http://www.kimmerer.com/about/ who I asked about compostability, said that Palm leaves are particularly well suited for it, and that worms find it quite tasty. And that when not in a composting environment, they are quite durable. If you’ve ever lived or been to somewhere that there’s palm trees and seen fallen leaves, you’d have confirmation of this.

Yes, plates made from infinite reuse are better to use in most situations than finite ones such as Verterra, but for events, outdoor happenings, and other occasions where doing dishes is not a ready option, these are among the best for that.

Paul Smiths last blog post..Green Minimarts? Believe It.

How odd.. the cheap paper plates I buy from walmart compost in about 2 months, too….
I suspect this is just another way to make would-be greenies feel better about wasting just as much as they always have with their disposable lifestyles.