I want that!

October 22, 2009 in I want that! by Yadira | 5 comments

I was recently introduced by a fellow blogger, Paul Smith, to a wonderful line of dinnerware–VerTerra. VerTerra is a stylish, eco-friendly collection of plates, bowls and serving dishes made from fallen leaves and water. They’re non-toxic, biodegradable, compostable, durable, lightweight, convenient and super fashionable.

Some interesting facts about VerTerra products:

  • Products will biodegrade naturally within 2 months after use in home and industrial composting without any harmful chemical agents.
  • Tests show that compost that contains VerTerra enhances plant growth over 15%.
  • VerTerra stands up to hot foods and liquids.
  • Products won’t impart a taste.
  • Products are safe for reheating or short bake in the oven, up to 350° for up to 45 minutes.
  • Products are microwave safe on High for up to 2 minutes.

Oh, I so want these!

Bowl

Plate

Tray

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  1. Paul Smith’s avatar

    Paul Smith on October 22, 2009 at 11:00 am

    Thanks very much for the great review. Some other good things to know: Verterra has been able to make them very affordable in the past year, now at over 300 stores and online. You can find where via their store locator on http://www.verterra.com

    Some cool eco aspects: They recycle 84% of the water used in the factory (which the CEO even drinks, it’s so clean!) and none of the Palm leaves are wasted, cutting scraps are made into fertilizer for the farmers who give Verterra the leaves, and their total waste, for one month, is 2-3 consumer sized trash bags. That’s less then most families!

    I’m happy to answer any questions people have, I’ve tried all the products myself, and have found them really sturdy, since they’re one piece of material, not a mash of sugar cane, for example.

  2. Jerri Glover’s avatar

    Jerri Glover on October 22, 2009 at 11:39 am

    For those worried about the aesthetics of compostable dishes at their wedding. DO NOT BE! We used compostable plates, glasses and cutlery at our wedding and our guests LOVED IT. They were not even as attractive as these here on http://www.verterra.com. However, we found the guests to be much more interested in the great vegetarian food that covered the plate (quite a feat when feeding a bunch of local Texans used to their steak and potatoes). But much to our surprise our carnivorous guests were very open to the menu and quite enjoyed our selection of pasta salad, cheeses, spreads, vegetables and fruits. I encourage Brides and Grooms to use these and other recyclable products for their wedding. Think outside the box with your menus. Thanks Paul!

  3. Paul Smith’s avatar

    Paul Smith on October 22, 2009 at 12:24 pm

    @jerri, awesome to hear it was an unexpected success. It reminds me of when we got married, and had coconuts rather then champagne for our toast. Some people were a bit tentative, but then after trying it, really liked coconut water. Made them nice and energetic afterwords. Yey for no drunk Uncles!

  4. Kirsten@Nexyoo’s avatar

    Kirsten@Nexyoo on October 22, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    Cool, I’ve never heard of plates made from leaves! How long can they be used before composting? It would be great if they weren’t just disposable.

  5. Paul Smith’s avatar

    Paul Smith on October 23, 2009 at 11:27 am

    @Kirsten, I’ve used some 5-10 times. You can hand wash them in cool/warm water. Depending on what’s been on them (say a big mess of oatmeal) they may warp a bit when drying. Overall though, usable for many times. But priced reasonably enough that if you used them once, composting then wouldn’t be a big deal. And even if you don’t compost, they’ll go away in time anyway, since they’re, well. leaves! :) They look more like wood then a leaf in person. My friends often ask if they’re bamboo.