Case Study
Natur-Ware® Biobased and Compostable Cutlery
Stands Up to Competition
The convenience of traditional plastic, with the benefit of complete compostablilty.
Natur-Ware® cutlery recently proved itself as eco-friendly, cost effective, and as pleasant to use for employees at a large insurance company in Michigan. This company implemented environmentally sustainable practices throughout their corporate offices and decided to replace their regular plastic cutlery in their dining facilities with biobased cutlery. Initially, the brand they tried was a plant starch (PSM) material based cutlery. However, they immediately encountered several problems with the starch-based cutlery.
The Problem
Employees complained that the PSM cutlery was flimsy, softened in hot foods and liquids, has an undesirable smell, and became tacky when wet. Another problem with the starch-based cutlery was the added cost of using multiply utensils per meal because they melted or broke. The customer was also disappointed that the cutlery pieces were not compostable since they are made of starch and non-biodegradable polypropylene plastic. They decided to look for a better alternative to the starch-based cutlery.
The Solutions
In their search for a better sustainable cutlery option, they discovered Natur-Ware® biobased and compostable cutlery. Natur-Ware® cutlery is biobased per ASTM D6866 and is made from annually renewable, GMO free, and non-food source polymers. They cutlery is made from resin that meets the ASTM D6400 standard specification for compostable plastics. The Natur-Ware® cutlery is heat resistant up to 190°F. Other biobased cutlery products on the market, such as corn-based and starch-based cutlery, typically soften at 130°F. Natur-Ware® users often report the cutlery looks and feels better than traditional plastic cutlery. One Natur-Ware® user said, "The Natur-Ware® cutlery doesn't melt in hot foods and is strong enough to cut steak. Plus it does not have an undesirable smell like the starch-based cutlery we were using before."
Another advantage of the Natur-Ware® cutlery is its cost effectiveness. Natur-Ware® cutlery is competitively priced in comparison to PLA and PSM based cutlery. Its durability also saves costs over other biobased cutlery that breaks or bends during use requiring multiple utensils. The operations manager at the company summarized their experience with the new cutlery and said, "Our employees use the Natur-Ware® cutlery daily and everyone is very satisfied with the product."
| Solution Story Summary | |
| Problem |
Starch-based cutlery resulted in very poor user experience
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| Solution | Adopted compostable and biobased Natur-Ware® cutlery |
| Benefits |
Great look and feel of traditional plastic cutlery with the benefit of complete compostability
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