VerTerra Dinnerware

Disposable paper plates are alright on occasion with me in a pinch.  However I have found an amazing alternative to paper plates; fallen palm leaves pressed into plate and bowl shapes.

Verterra is the company behind this great eco-alternative dishware.  Verterra dishware is created in South Asia, where employees receive fair wages in a safe working environment with access to health care.

All plates and bowls are made from collected fallen palm leaves, which would just be burnt otherwise.  They are then steamed with no chemicals or additives added, leaving a sterilized and completely natural bowls and plates, which naturally decompose in 2 months.  Just because these are disposable, doesn’t mean they aren’t durable.  I would compare these closely to bamboo or wooden dishware, they are so durable which I love.  Even though these are intended for only one time use, I made an attempt at wiping them clean for multiple uses and they were totally fine at being reused.

As VerTerra‘s website says, they can be used for many different types of foods and hold up well with the food.  The only food that was not the best, was hot soup.  It didn’t leak out of the bowl or anything like that, however it severely warped the bowl.  But I wasn’t really expecting it to act as a ceramic bowl anyways.  I am extremely happy with this product, I don’t feel as bad using something that has come from the earth and will then go back into the earth.

I was sent a package of their various size plates and bowls.  I am very happy with the multiple sizes this company offers from the small snack sized plates to large hor’dourve serving plates and regular soup or cereal bowl.  I would highly suggest you grab a package of these for the next BBQ or party you have.  They may be pricier than the average simple paper plate but they certainly hold up much better than them.  Plates and bowls can be bought in single size packages or the various size packages at local Whole Food stores.