Compostable Plates : 5 things to know

There are many occasions when we are looking for plates that will serve our audience. When we attend big parties and picnics, we see different types of plates used by organizers. But what are the best plates for parties and picnics?

Looking at the settings of big parties or picnics where different people from different walks of life will attend, there is a need to serve them food and drinks with something that is Easy to handle and compostable. This makes compostable plates and cups the best for parties.

Yet few people today who claim to be cream la cream in the society think otherwise, they still use other materials like ceramics to serve dishes.

People who need eco-friendly environment goes for biodegradable material which will help reduce the environmental pollution that is caused by plastics and other materials which do not degrade to form compost. The best material will be compostable plates.

There are many questions that come to mind when trying to figure out what to use for events. People ask questions like are compostable plates biodegradable? Are compostable plates microwaveable? 

Let us get the real facts about compostable plates.

What are compostable Plates?

Compostable plates are those plates that are produced with materials that can degrade on their own when disposed to form compost. The best disposable plates for people who are eco-friendly are compostable plates.

When disposed in composting facilities either commercial or domestic once, compostable plates decompose to form compost which can be used as nutrients in our gardens or farms.

Compostable plates are the best for people who are looking for a green solution to serve their guests without constituting environmental pollution.

Are Compostable Plates microwaveable?

For us to understand if Compostable Plates or cups are microwave safe or not, we need to know how microwave machines work.

Microwaves can be able to cook or warm food by the passage of microwaves through the food, the water contents of the food will absorb the waves making it to vibrate and cause heat generation. The generated heat then cooks the food.

Without the the water content, it cannot get hot. The plates containing the food only gets hot through heat transfer from the food to the plates.

Most Microwave plates are microwave safe or microwaveable but do not need excessive heat.

According to the report from FDA, compostable plates and cups are microwaveable because microwaves pass the materials used in the product production. However, even though compostable containers cannot be heated directly by a microwave, they do become hot due to the heat transfer resulting from the food cooking inside

How do you know if plate is microwave safe ?

Though most compostable plates are microwave safe, some still can withstand high temperatures. So how do one know which is safe to use in the microwave for cooking food? The tips below will be of great help

• Manufacturers guide: To know if a compostable plate is microwave safe, you can check the description from the Maker’s of the plate. Some manufacturers will write at the back that it can be used in the microwave or not.
• Test the product: When the Compostable Plates makers did not specify if the plate is microwave safe or not, you can test it for yourself. All you need to do is place an empty and dry compostable plate in the oven for a minute, if it is hot, know it’s not microwaveable but it is otherwise.

Are Compostable Plates recyclable?

Compostable Plates are mainly wood-based or paper-based and as such biodegradable. 

Biodegradable compostable containers are not recyclable so you don’t need to preserve it for recycling.

Are Dixie utra plates Compostable?

Dixie Product contains approximately 91% compostable cellulose fiber by weight. So it is Compostable in commercial composting facilities.

Are Chinet Plates compostable?

Chinet Plates are strong and durable plate used by many families in the United States and beyond. The Maker’s of Chinet Plates claim that the plate is biodegradable and home composting.

According to research by consumer reporters, they carried out an experiment to check if the claims of Chinet Plates are true. They carried used Chinet Plates from the picnic and dropped them in the compost pile. It was noticed that the Chinet Plates disintegrated in five weeks.

To answer the question, are Chinet Plates compostable? The answer is yes, Chinet Plates are compostable.