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Biodegradable Plates vs Plastic Plates: Environmental Impact Explained

biogreentable plates

Introduction

Disposable plates are often used at various events such as birthday parties, weddings, and food festivals, they are also widely used in office lunchrooms and during big catering events. The cheap price, light weight, and easy handling of plastic plates are the reasons for their extended preference. However, the issue of environmental consciousness has let the world see the dark side of plastic plates. 

Plastic plates are one of the major contributors to the waste that fills landfills, to the pollution that contaminates oceans, and to the emissions of greenhouse gases. It may take hundreds of years for them to break down in landfills but, during that time, toxins could be leaching into the soil and water. 

Biodegradable plates, in contrast, provide a green solution. Natural and renewable materials such as sugarcane bagasse, cornstarch, and vegetable waste are used to make these plates that are broken down completely without contaminating the environment and leaving behind no harmful substances. 

This blog post will guide you through an in-depth comparison of biodegradable plates and plastic plates, their environmental impacts, and the reasons for picking eco-friendly alternatives from Biogreen Bags as the top choice for households, events, and food businesses.


What Are Biodegradable Plates?

Biodegradable plates are environmental-friendly swaps for disposable plastic plates. They are produced from renewably sourced plant-based materials such as sugarcane bagasse, corn starch, rice husk, and vegetable pulp. These materials have the following properties:

100% compostable: They decompose biologically and entirely in 90-180 days with the right conditions in the compost.

Non-toxic: Using them is not harmful for in serving both hot and cool foods.

Durable: They can withstand surprising pressure and thus will not leak or bend even if they are used for hot or heavy meals.

Environmentally Friendly: They break down faster than plastic plates, which will still be in the environment for centuries.

Supports a Circular Economy: Their production process is such that the agricultural waste is converted to a useful product.

Safe for Health: Food will not be contaminated by harmful chemicals.

At Biogreen Bags, Biodegradable Plates are very eco-friendly and they form the core of a product that includes biodegradable disposable glasses, biodegradable bowls, and Composing Sambar Pouches which is the easiest way for your events to be eco-friendly!

Biodegradable plates along with Compostable Carry Bags and compostable Grocery bags contribute to the reduction of plastic use and thus to the promotion of sustainability in everyday life.


What Are Plastic Plates?

Plastic plates are primarily derived from petroleum-based substances such as polystyrene (PS) or polypropylene (PP). Despite the fact that they are low-cost, light, and easy to use, the environment pays a huge price for them.

Environmental Concerns of Plastic Plates:

Non-biodegradable: Will not decompose for about 100 to 500 years.

Pollution: At last, the majority of plastic plates find their way either to landfills, or rivers, or even oceans.

Toxicity: Their burning or disposal results in the emission of dangerous chemicals.

Limited Recycling: It is a pity that for most plastic plates, food contamination is the reason for not being recycled.

The plastic plates are to a large extent responsible for the culture of events and street food, but they are not a sustainable choice anymore. The selection of biodegradable alternatives not only guarantees a smaller environmental impact but also aids the companies in creating a green brand image.


Biodegradable Plates vs Plastic Plates: Environmental Impact Comparison

FeatureBiodegradable PlatesPlastic Plates
MaterialSugarcane bagasse, corn starch, rice huskPetroleum-based
Decomposition90–180 days under compostingHundreds of years
Environmental ImpactEco-friendly, leaves no residuePollutes soil and water
CompostableYesNo
Food SafetyNon-toxic, safe for hot and cold foodsMay leach chemicals
SustainabilityHighVery low
Industrial UseRestaurants, catering, eco-eventsOften single-use, disposable

Just as Biogreen Bags offers eco-friendly Compostable Garbage Bag, compostable Garment bag, Biodegradable courier bag, Biodegradable stretch film, and Biodegradable bubble wrap for multiple industries, biodegradable plates are an essential part of a sustainable dining ecosystem.


Which Plate Is Better for Events and Food Businesses?

In the contest between biodegradable and eco-friendly disposables versus gourmet catering events, biodegradable plates are the clear winners. Let me get into details:

Eco-Friendly Image: The incorporation of biodegradable plates and biodegradable disposable cups not only elevates the brand image but also positions it as an environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible brand.

Regulatory Compliance: In India, certain urban areas and regions are gradually banning the use of plastics that can only be used once, but the use of biodegradable plates will fully comply with the rules even in such areas.

Hot Food Safe: They are perfectly able to contain hot food without changing their structure or leaking harmful substances.

Less Waste: Biodegradable plates along with food waste can easily go to the compost heap while plastic plates continue to pile up in landfills forever.

For complete eco-friendliness, both companies and households can take or use solutions such as Biodegradable bowls, Compostable Sambar Pouches, or Biodegradable dog poop bags along with biodegradable plates.

Conclusion

When comparing biodegradable vs plastic plates, it is a matter of non-biodegradable, polluting, and dangerous vs eco-friendly and without the latter being composted safely and sustainably.

Using Biogreen Bags’ biodegradable plates along with others like Compostable Carry Bags, Biodegradable bubble wrap, people and organizations help significantly positively influence the environment.

The choice of biodegradable plates is not just a simple case of the easiest option but, it is a question of protecting the ecosystem, reducing plastic waste and making the earth green for future generations.


FAQs

Q1. How long do biodegradable plates take to decompose?
Ans: Signified by proper composting conditions, biodegradable plates, as a rule, take 90-180 days for decomposition and leave nothing harmful as a residue behind.

Q2. Are biodegradable plates safe for hot food?
Ans: They are indeed, with the ability to hold hot and cold dishes safely without any leaking or chemical release at all.

Q3. Can plastic dishes be recycled?
Ans: Largely, plastic dishes can’t be recycled mainly because of the low recycling value and food contamination, which ultimately takes these products to landfills.

Q4. Which one is more environmentally friendly?
Ans: Bio plates are more eco-friendly to the extent that they decompose naturally thus contributing less to pollution.

Q5. Is it true that biodegradable plates are compostable?
Ans: Definitely! Biogreen bags’ biodegrade plates are compostable in full and are perfect both for home composting and industrial composting setups.