Eco-Friendly Rating System

5- The product was hand crafted. It is biodegradable & compostable. The crops that go into the product sequester carbon, require minimal water, are grown without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides or insecticides. 

4-The product is biodegradable & compostable. The crops that go into the product sequester carbon, require minimal water, are grown without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides or insecticides. The crops require little water & sequester carbon

3- The product is not biodegradable or compostable. It is however infinitely reusable & thus sustainable. Glass & metal fit this description.  These materials are not banned but will only be used when necessary.

2- The product is naturally derived and biodegradable through anaerobic digestion which essentially breaks down the material through oxygen deprivation & in turn produces bio-gas and nutrient rich digestate. While the number of facilities capable of anaerobic digestion in America are few & far between, many new facilities are currently being built. Bio plastics fit this description. Our bamboo fiber saucer is the only product we sell where special conditions are needed for it to biodegrade. For more information on bio-plastics see the bottom of the page.

1-The product is synthetically derived. It is not biodegradable, compostable, easily recyclable or reusable. Products that fit this description are styrofoam,  plastic, nylon, polyurethane, etc... These materials are banned from being used in both our products and packaging. 

 

 

Bio-Plastics

The industry for bio based plastics is in its infancy & does not have the perfect solution towards the recycling and disposal of these products. Bio-plastics like ours use 100% naturally derived ingredients, but once combined still are chemically similar to plastic. When they break down they still leave behind microplastics.  

New facilities are being constructed that are able to recapture said micro-plastics to be re-used to create more bio-plastics. The off gas from this process can be harvested & used as a fuel creating a closed loop process.

Additionally, new additives for composting plants are being created that attract microbes able to digest & consume these plastics beyond the surface level.

Both of these instances require facilities with these capabilities however there are only a handful worldwide.

So while the materials used are more environmentally friendly than plastic, bio based plastic still presents many of the same challenges regarding proper disposal. We will continue to seek out a better disposal solution and/or a different material all together.

When the time comes for you to dispose of your saucer, check here to see a map of nearby composting facilities that accept bio-plastics.