What Is Compostable Spoon And Which Is Worth Sourcing?

Compostable spoons are increasingly common on the supply lists of tableware suppliers and caterers.

Using compostable spoons is a great initiative to reduce your carbon footprint. If you want to know more about compostable spoons, you’re in the right place. Here is a complete guide to this disposable cutlery.

What Is The Compostable Spoon?

Compostable spoons are mainly those spoons that can be degraded in the natural environment and produce nutrients without chemical residues.

The primary benefit of compostable spoons is that they do not produce harmful chemicals upon degradation. This cutlery also gives nutrients that you can return to the soil by applying compost to it. So compostable spoons can help you make the environment safer.

Compostable spoon is also degradable at a composting facility. You can also biodegrade such spoons in your backyard if meet all the correct composting conditions.

But many people consider plastic-free cutlry is always compostable, that is not the case.

You will come across many disposable spoons on the market, such as plastic spoons, wooden spoons, CPLA spoons, and much more. Not every disposable cutlery is compostable.

So, which common disposable spoons are compostable? Please see below.

Plastic Spoons

It is no secret that plastic spoons are widely used around the world. Many vendors use this cutlery at their stalls at food festivals. Most restaurants also offer plastic spoons for takeaway and delivery orders. The primary reason to use this cutlery is that it is cheap and disposable.

However, plastic spoons are not sustainable or good for the environment. They are not compostable and take hundreds of years to degrade naturally. So plastic spoons fill landfills faster than other materials on this planet.

Another disadvantage of plastic spoons is that they produce toxins upon degradation. These chemicals can harm the environment significantly, increasing your negative ecological footprint. The residues may also have a severe impact on your health.

Decomposed plastic spoons may exist on the earth in the form of micromolecules for thousands of years. They will enter drinking water through air, rainwater, ocean current movement, etc., and then poses a threat to human health, animal health, and much more.

CPLA Spoons

CPLA spoons are biodegradable, but they are not compostable.

When discussing compostable spoons, many people ask about CPLA spoons because of their popularity. Because they are disposable and degradable.

CPLA cutlery is famous because it is significantly less threatening to the environment than plastic.

Of course, you should not expect CPLA spoons to be 100% biodegradable. This is because this cutlery is mainly made of bioplastics. Many manufacturers also add chemical additives to these spoons, this may leave harmful residues in your food.

Each manufacturer adds different chemicals and amounts. But the end result is that CPLA spoons are not 100% biodegradable, and some chemicals will be left behind.

Meanwhile, some CPLA cutlery manufacturers may use significant chemicals that can cause severe danger. The worst part is you cannot know how much or how many chemicals has used to make CPLA spoons.

So, toxins may also be released when CPLA spoons are degraded naturally. Typically, it takes three to four months for this cutlery to break down, but, the chemicals will persist.

You should not source and sell this cutlery if you want to maintain a more sustainable life and environment.

Disposable Wooden Spoons

This is one of compostable spoons.

Disposable wooden spoons are becoming highly popular because they are easy to dispose of. You can also use them safely without worrying about leaving chemical residues in your food.

Disposable wooden spoon is one of the best alternatives to plastic cutlery because it is compostable. Many fast-food restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, and bakeries use it. You can degrade wooden spoons in your backyard and at a composting facility.

The best thing about disposable wooden spoons is that their primary raw material is trees. About 95% of this cutlery is made of birch, which are sawing, cutting, sterilized at high temperature, and then pressed into shape.

After sterilized at high temperatures to get rid of microbodies and harmful substances, the wood is shaped into spoons. As you can see, the production process of this cutlery does not require any chemicals.

So, disposabel wooden spoons will not harm the users or the environment.

Disposable Bamboo Spoons

Another famous option amongst compostable spoons includes disposable bamboo spoons. This cutlery is easily compostable because of the natural production process.

Bamboo is also a great alternative to plastic because of its strength and easy disposal of methods. The raw material of this cutlery is bamboo, and no chemicals or toxins are used for making bamboo spoons, knives, and disposable containers.

Disposable bamboo spoons are highly resistant to heat and strong for enjoying various dishes easily. Users don’t have to worry about the spoon’s deformation because of its high strength. Besides, bamboo spoon also has antibacterial properties, making it safer than plastic and wooden spoon.

The overall verdict of bamboo spoons is that they are compostable. This cutlery can degrade within 90 days if the right conditions are met.

Of course, its disadvantage is disposable bamboo spoons will cost you more than plastic and disposable wooden spoons.

Bagasse Spoons

Many companies which produce bagasse dishes and containers also make spoons of bagasse. Sugarcane is the primary raw material of this component.

The best part is that these spoons are more easy to compost. Users can degrade this cutlery within 90 days by meeting the optimal composting conditions. Nutrients from composting can be supplied to the soil for enrichment.

However, in practical applications, there are not many catering companies that choose to use bagasse spoons.

The stretch resistance, high temperature resistance, and water and oil resistance of bagasse spoons are far lower than those of disposable bamboo and wood spoons, there are many restrictions in actual use.

For instance, bagasse spoons are not suitable for hot soup, bagasse knife can barely cut through the steak. This is why most caterers don’t offer cutlery of this material.

Therefore, it is far less popular than disposable wooden spoons.

Which Compostable Spoon Worth to Resell?

Here are some factors you should consider when sourcing compostable spoons in bulk quantity:

Product Performance

The performance of your product is essential to consider because it will determine your usage capabilities. For instance, spoons with high heat resistance can be used to stir hot food while it cooks on the stove. Such cutlery can also be used for eating extremely hot items such as soup.

The two options that you will eventually decide between are wooden and bamboo spoons. The latter is a better option with regard to performance. This is because bamboo compostable spoons have the best heat and water resistance.

The best thing is that you can also benefit from other environmentally friendly solutions when getting these spoons. For instance, many retailers offer bamboo cutlery in excellent packaging.

These solutions will help suppliers and retailers getting more profit.

Product Cost

Another thing to consider when looking at compostable spoons bulk options is the product cost. After all, you cannot afford to spend an extremely high amount on cutlery. You may suffer from losses if your expenses exceed the standard budget.

Understanding the prices of different options will help you. Typically, disposable wooden spoons are cheaper to sell than disposable bamboo spoons.

Of course, other factors also affect the spoon’s popularity on the market. Disposable cutlery is used as a product that is thrown away, its lower cost is often more popular.

This is why wooden spoons have become a better choice in this category. They are cheaper to produce and buy, making it reasonable for all parties involved in the transaction.

Profit

Profit is an essential thing that every business owner has to consider when buying a new product for their company. Whether you require compostable spoons for your tableware business or catering venture, you must ensure you can benefit financially after buying the cutlery.

Products that offer environmental protection are high-profit. You must know that the retail unit price of compostable spoons, such as bamboo cutlery, is 8 to 10 times greater than the quotes of Chinese manufacturers. It is necessary to consider freight charges, custom taxes, labor costs, warehouse costs, and much more when buying compostable spoons.

After excluding these charges, you must still be able to make a profit using compostable spoons for your business. If you cannot manage profitability, it may not be the idea to invest in sustainable cutlery.

Although, shipping and other charges can significantly increase the overall cost of getting the cutlery, millions of companies are present in the catering niche. Which is why the demand for sustainable spoons and knives is high.

The plastic ban and awareness of compostable cutlery have also led to the popularity of disposable bamboo & wood spoons. So consider all these factors to ensure greater profit.

According to the current market and Ecoure‘s 10-year production and sales experience, the most popular compostable spoon is the disposable wooden spoon, which has the largest production and usage.

The second is the disposable bamboo spoon, its unit profit is more generous.

Where To Buy Compostable Spoons In Bulk?

You may want to get compostable spoons bulk way because it is cheaper. This is why knowing your purchasing options will be helpful. You may get your spoons from a tableware supplier or manufacturer. Here’s what you need to know about these options:

Tableware Suppliers

Tableware suppliers offer different cutlery options to large companies, small catering businesses, and fast food chains. They offer various options for getting compostable spoons with a low MOQ.

Bamboo and wooden spoons must be your top two choices for compostable spoons. You can visit the online store of a supplier to place your order easily. The company may have an official website or a store on platforms such as Amazon, Shopify, and eBay. You can also visit the brick-and-mortar store of your supplier directly.

The best part about tableware companies is that they have a shorter delivery time.

Manufacturers

The second option when buying compostable spoons is a reliable manufacturer with a well-developed warehouse. This option is best for sourcing tableware suppliers. It is also better for heavy fast food chains, restaurants, hypermarket, and other commercial businesses.

Manufacturers can offer you compostable spoons at the lowest prices. You can enjoy cheaper rates and better product quality.

However, manufacturers usually only focus on wholesale business and have high MOQ of each SKU.

So, for small purchases, they are easily replaced by tableware suppliers.

Final Words

This is everything you need to know about compostable spoons and to source them. The best compostable options are bamboo and wooden spoons. Plastic and CPLA cutlery may be popular, but they are least sustainable.