Why Are Compostable Forks Worth Choosing?

Compostable forks help reducing the amount of plastic ending up in landfills. It will also allow you to enjoy a healthier life.

Climate change is leading to drastic weather changes that are affecting various countries across the globe. Some places experience flooding due to excessive rain. Meanwhile, forest fires have also become prevalent in different parts of the world.

That is why it has become necessary to become more climate-conscious and take steps to reduce global warming. Every action count and can help you reduce your ecological footprint. Because of this, many people are shifting towards compostable cutlery, including forks, knives, and spoons.

Disposable Forks Are Widely Used

Disposable forks have been used for many years by different people around the world. Large families prefer to take this cutlery on picnics instead of metal tableware because disposable forks are easy to get rid of. It also saves time because the cutlery can be discarded without cleaning.

Many businesses also use disposable forks because they offer a low-cost option for commercial and personal usage. You may be offering such cutlery to your customers on takeout orders. After all, it is not feasible to give a metal fork for every delivery order.

Restaurants need to manage their budget efficiently, which is why disposable forks offer a cheap solution to improve customer experience. You can give the cutlery to your customers for free because of the low cost. Disposable forks are also preferred because of the pandemic, as the item helps keep diseases out.

Of course, every individual has a different opinion about disposable forks. However, most environmentalists agree that disposable compostable forks are better for the planet.

What Are Compostable Forks?

Compostable forks are a type of cutlery that can be degraded naturally. This means that the products are harmless to the environment.

Most compostable forks are made of plant-based materials that do not release toxic substances into the atmosphere.
That is why sourcing materials for compostable forks are relatively safe and more environmentally friendly. This cutlery is primarily used in restaurants, homes, small to large hotels, and educational institutes.

These forks are safer for the environment because they eliminate the need to use harmful plastic cutlery. Your customers can also enjoy a safer eating experience because compostable forks do not release toxins into your food.

Which Forks Are Compostable?

Compostable forks can be made of different materials that are sourced naturally. However, three options on the market are the most prevalent.
Bamboo, wood, and bagasse are the top compostable forks that can help you live a healthier life while keeping the planet safe. So here’s everything you need to know about these compostable forks:

Bamboo

Bamboo forks are one of the top options for disposable forks because their manufacturing process does not harm the environment. This material is also more durable than plastic and wood. So bamboo forks can be easily used for their strength and high-quality design.

The best part about bamboo compostable forks is that they are biodegradable and can decompose within 45 to 90 days. This cutlery is also easily compostable under the appropriate conditions. Users can easily add the item to their compost pile and use the compost for various purposes, such as fertilizing the soil.

Producing bamboo forks do not lead to the production of various by-products. Fewer resources are also required to create these disposable forks than plastic forks. This means that the waste produced by bamboo cutlery is significantly less. Because of this, many people prefer to buy these forks.

Wooden

Wood is another top option for compostable forks because of its high strength and easy degradation. Such cutlery does not contain any harmful coating, so you can rely on the forks to help you be more environmentally friendly. Waxes and toxins are also not added to wooden tableware, which allows them to be more biodegradable.

Typically, your compostable wooden forks can decompose within 90 days. Of course, you must ensure that the ideal composting conditions are being fulfilled. Sometime, it can take for wooden cutlery to decompose is 180 days.

Your customers can compost the material at home or offer the wooden forks to a commercial facility. This will allow you to reduce your negative ecological footprint and stay climate-conscious.

Bagasse

Bagasse disposable forks are also popular in the compostable category because of their natural sourcing. This fibrous material is obtained from the crushing of sugar cane when juice is extracted. Bagasse is primarily a by-product of the extraction process.

Due to natural sourcing, bagasse is easily compostable. It can compost within 90 days under the right conditions. This is faster than the degrading time of other disposable materials, such as plastic. Bagasse forks are sustainable and can be composted at home or industrially.

Your customers can offer nutrients to the soil after decomposing bagasse. This is an excellent way to enrich the soil before placing new plants in a garden.

Benefits Of Compostable Forks

The primary benefit of disposable compostable forks is that they are safe for the environment. However, this cutlery offers many other benefits in different ways. So here’s what you need to know about each advantage of compostable forks:

Compostable Forks Are Eco-Friendly

Compostable forks are eco-friendly because they do not take up space in landfills. Instead, they can be decomposed at home or in the industry to ensure safe elimination. The best part about the compost is that it is nutrient-rich, so you can offer it to the soil for good plant growth.

Another thing that contributes to the eco-friendliness of compostable forks is that their materials are sourced naturally. Bamboo can be grown every year without polluting the environment. Bagasse is also produced naturally due to the extraction of sugar cane juice.

So no fossil fuels are depleted when getting raw material for compostable forks. This cutlery also removes the need to use plastic, so the amount of plastic ending up in landfills can reduce significantly if more people use compostable tableware.

Harmless To Human Body

Another excellent benefit of compostable cutlery is that it is harmless to the body. No chemicals or toxins are used for manufacturing these forks, making them safe to use. So it offers a healthier option than other disposable cutlery such as plastic.

If you use metal forks for eating or stirring different dishes, the cutlery will impart some fillings to the food. This can enter the body and cause significant harm if the amount continues to accumulate. Because of this reason, compostable forks are better than metal forks.

So healthier living can be enjoyed by using compostable forks. They do not add toxins to your body and lead to different medical conditions. These forks also do not cause any prior disease that you’ve been suffering from to worsen.

Easy To Clean

The best part about compostable forks, such as bamboo forks, is that you can reuse them at least ten times. So your customers can keep this cutlery at home for later use. Another great thing about these forks is that they are very easy to clean, so washing compostable forks is not a hassle.

All you have to do is clean the cutlery using water and hand. It is better not to add disposable forks in the dishwasher because the machine reduces the cutlery’s lifespan. After cleaning the forks by hand, excess water must be drained.

Finally, the forks should be allowed to air dry before reuse. The cleaning process does not take more than a few minutes. This is why compostable cutlery is preferred by many people.

High Resistance To Heat And Fire

Another excellent feature of compostable forks is that they are highly resistant to heat and fire. This is especially true for bamboo cutlery because of its high strength. The natural fiber is robust and can resist cold or hot changes easily.

Similarly, compostable wooden forks are also relatively resistant to heat. This is why the cutlery can be easily used for having hot dishes without burning yourself. The forks or spoons can also be used for stirring food safely instead of metal cutlery.

As mentioned earlier, metal cutlery may impart harmful fillings to your food every time you use it for stirring. This is especially true if the container which has the dish is also made of metal. So high resistance to heat and fire makes compostable forks suitable for use while cooking too.

Biodegradable

The top feature of compostable forks, such as bamboo and wooden fork, is that they are easily biodegradable. You can dispose of the cutlery easily without worrying about filling landfills and harming the environment.

The conditions under which this cutlery is degraded affect the time range significantly. Ideal conditions ensure faster natural decomposition so that the material can be disposed of easily.

Another interesting fact about bamboo is that it also releases 35% greater oxygen than other plants and trees. So it can also help purify air to maintain a healthier environment when bamboo forks compost.

How Long Do Compostable Forks Take To Decompose?

Under the correct conditions, compostable forks can completely decompose within 180 days. The process can be faster because of the different raw materials. For instance, the minimum time bamboo can take to degrade is 45 days.

Similarly, compostable wooden forks can take up to 80 days for fast decomposition. Bagasse cutlery can also degrade within 90 days even less time, for easy disposing of. The best part is that you can compost these items in your backyard at home.

Local composting facilities also accept compostable cutlery such as forks, spoons, and plates. This will reduce the composting time significantly and help you focus on other tasks.

Can Disposable Forks Be Reused?

Disposable forks can be reused easily after being cleaned appropriately. You should wash the cutlery in hot water with soap. Bamboo and compostable wooden forks can also be cleaned in the same way for easy reuse.

However, you must be more careful when cleaning compostable forks for reuse. This is because bamboo and wood are sensitive to breeding mold in damp conditions. So you must dry them appropriately to prevent this issue.

Compostable Plastic Forks

Plastics are notoriously non-compostable and difficult to degrade.

PLA was also popular for some time as an alternative to plastic tableware. It is also a common false claim that PLA is compostable.

Polylactic acid (PLA) was a popular material. It is a monomer that is sourced from renewable plant sources such as cornstarch. which are not produced using fossil fuels through distillation and polymerization of petroleum. This is why many people believe it to be compostable and safe to use.

However, remember when PLA is used for making cutlery such as forks and spoons, chemicals must be added to the product. This makes the degradation of polylactic acid long and harmful to the environment.

At present, PLA and CPLA tableware and cutlery are popular in the market, and they are partially degradable but not compostable.

Real compost needs to meet two conditions:
100% biodegradable in a short period of time
Will not leave harmful substances

Obviously, PLA tableware does not meet the above conditions. So if you see compostable PLA or CPLA forks at stores, know that the claim is false.

What Is The Best Disposable Fork?

Four main forks come under the best disposable category:

Bamboo forks

Bamboo forks are strong because of their natural fiber strength. They are also biodegradable and reusable, making them better for the environment. The material is also harmless to the human body.

Wooden forks

Wooden disposable forks are also strong and biodegradable. You can easily reuse them at least ten times for long-lasting use. The best part is that the material is harmless and does not release toxins into the body or external environment.

Bagasse forks

Bagasse is also a biodegradable product that can be composted at home or in industry. So it makes a good option for disposable cutlery. The forks are also affordable.

Plastic forks

Plastic is considered a good disposable product for many people. However, remember that it is non-biodegradable and harms the environment. So it is not the top choice for disposable forks if you want to be more climate-conscious.

Benefits on your business

If you’re not just an individual consumer, but a wholesaler or buyer of eco-friendly food service products, composted cutlery is definitely on your purchasing list.

Disposable wooden knife, fork and spoon set has an amazing market share and praise rate. They benefit your business in the long run.

1. Improving brand tone
2. Reducing the use of plastic tableware
3. Meeting your business sustainability statement
4. Eco-friendly products are generally more profitable than plastic products