Monday, Feb 08, 2010
Gulf News
Dubai Rather than staining the pavements after being chewed and spat out, the betel leaf is being put to good use by a Dubai-based company. The orange staining leaf is the main ingredient of simple dinner plates that are totally biodegradable, giving picnickers fewer tools with which to pollute the environment.
Distributed under the brand name Harmony by LTC International LLC, the eco-friendly disposable bioplate, already used in Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, is now available in the UAE.
Made entirely of fallen betel leaves, the Harmony bioplate biodegrades naturally within two months, which makes it much easier to dispose of and completely safe for the environment.
Kishan Gidwani, Chief Operating Officer, LTC International, said using disposable products that are biodegradable will contribute immensely in cutting down the amount of environmentally harmful waste that we produce on a daily basis.
"It is probably impossible to account for all the plastic disposable plates that are being disposed of every day and how many of them eventually end up as environmental pollutants and safety hazards," he said.
According to LTC International, plastics in Dubai alone account for over 17 per cent of the 3.4 million tonnes of waste produced per year. Although recycling facilities have been set up all over the emirate, much of the plastic waste still ends up polluting the seas, clogging up waterways or being consumed and causing the death of desert animals.
The bioplates are made completely of natural materials and there are no chemicals, resins, dyes, strengthening agents or synthetic materials that are used in the manufacturing process, making them 100 per cent non-toxic and safe for everyday use.
Only fallen betel leaves are used in manufacturing the Harmony bioplates, thus no trees are cut or harmed in the process.
The bioplate can be used in the microwave, refrigerator or when baking food.
By Emmanuelle Landais
Gulf News 2010. All rights reserved.
