Civil Beat asked the question, “Why do we use so much plastic foam in Hawaii?”

I would like to respond with another question; in food service, what can we use instead?

For many of us, plastic and plastic foam have enjoyed an unquestioned presence in our lives for as long as we can remember. We may question if it is even possible, let alone necessary, to use something other than plastic products. Others, however, can think back to a day before this substance was widely available and was not an important part of daily life. They will tell you, it is actually possible to live without plastic!

Let’s imagine for a moment, how that could be possible. What, instead of plastic and plastic foam, can we use instead? For this thought exercise, let’s really push the limits of our imagination. Imagine we have no modern tools or materials, what could we use? Let’s start there and work our way up to more modern items.

Plants: They are readily available and can be “manufactured” anywhere.

Leaves can be woven into baskets and boxes, used alone for wrapping or lining other containers, such as wood, bamboo, folded into dishes or woven baskets. Banana and ti leaves are excellent options for wrapping and lining; coconut and hala leaves can be used for weaving. When heated banana and ti leaves become soft and flexible making it easier to wrap up solid things like sandwiches, musabi, etc. Packages can be tied with raffia made from the bark of young hau bush or natural fiber string as alternatives plastic.

Photo: Eric.Parker

In many countries, like India, green leaves are used alone as plates. To form a more rigid item, such as a plate or tray, leaves can also be baked together in metal, stone, ceramic or concrete molds. Verterra™ is a company that manufactures pressed leaves dinnerware. Their product is a more refined version of baked leaf plates the founder saw being made in rural India. Baked or green, leaves are indispensable around the world yet overlooked here in Hawaii – despite a deep cultural history using them.

Photo: secretlondon123

For more sturdy containers, wood, bamboo and even coconut can all be used to make utensils and reusable containers that can be used alone or lined with clean smooth leaves that can be thrown out after use. Liquids can be carried in calabashes made from gourds, bamboo, wooden or coconut cups. There are a variety of ways to finish these more long-lived items, like wood or bamboo, to make them last for generations.

Bento boxes, for example, traditionally made from wood or bamboo were treated with all organic food-safe lacquer to make them more durable and beautiful. The boxes were lined with leaves and used “to-go”. This is why when you buy sushi in the store it’s always got that green plastic cutout in the package – it’s a throwback to how it used to be done! Not only that, but the leaves traditionally used to package food in Japan contain natural preservatives that get released when cut, folded or broken; and actually keep food fresher longer than plastic! Bento boxes were (and still are) wrapped and carried with a special cloth (furoshiki), also doubling as a napkin, along with reusable wooden or bamboo chopsticks.

Use of these kinds of traditional household tools could help replace the need for a plastic bags, foam containers and disposable napkins at each meal.

Photo: Brenda.

Plant material can also be mechanically processed. Today there are dozens of plant-derived products for food service made from things like potato, corn, bamboo and, of course, wood. Most of these products have the look and feel of a manufactured paper or plastic product and are not readily identifiable as plants. Nonetheless they are among the list of non-plastic food-service products. Bear in mind, the more inputs required for a solution the more its true cost will be.

Biodegradable materials are emerging as an alternative to plastic foams, not just for food service but, for shipping too. Ecovative™ is a company which grows shipping packaging, insulation, and a handful of home goods using agricultural by-products and mushrooms as an alternative to rigid foam foam molds! Eben Bayer’s TED talk(Ecovative’s co-founder) leaves me wondering if they can make surf board blanks too!

Plants are useful and versatile, yet they have an unmatched intrinsic beauty and a natural luxuriance. Some are reusable and some disposable – all are “backyard” compostable – there is something for everyone when it comes to plants!

About the author: Raised in the Midwest, Carolyn and her immediate family relocated to the Hawaiian Islands in 2007 to benefit from the abundant sunshine and ocean waters. She is interested in sustainability, renewable resources, native intelligence, self-governance, low-energy lifestyle and open-source economies, environmental restoration, food sovereignty, photography, art and music. Currently projects include, Da Food Chain – a food and tech company aimed to bring open-source solutions to the food chain, and LOVE KAUAI a design house, tumblog, and Etsy shop. Carolyn also love to spend time outdoors talking to animals and playing mauka to makai.