RAW MATERIALS

Yellow paper, straw-coloured
It is produced with raw materials coming from recycling and regeneration and it's characterized by rustic and attractive appearance. Keep in a dry warehouse.

Machine glazed paper
This is a pure cellulose. It is of excellent quality, durable and flexible and it is produced with high quality raw materials. Keep in a dry warehouse.

PLA laminated cardboard
The Board of pure cellulose is coupled with a PLA film in bioplastics, biodegradable and 100% compostable according to EN 13432 norm. It is suitable for cold and warm liquids up to 70° C and also for food contact according to the applicable legal provisions. The film is in bioplastics PLA, obtained from processing natural raw material made of maize starch, with features similar to plastic but completely biodegradable and compostable. Not suitable for traditional oven and microwave, not suitable for infants food and follow-on formulas (until 3 years old), not suitable for food storage. Keep in a dry warehouse and between 0 °C and 35 °C.

Palm leaf
Natural raw material, totally biodegradable and compostable obtained by harvesting of spontaneous fall of the BETEL palm leaves (leaf detachment from the plants in its normal cycle of renewal)
From one palm leaf it is possible to get 2/3 plates (depending on the size) thanks to a painstaking process involving a first phase of water jet cleaning and forming by pressing at high temperatures,
The processing is finished with handcrafted procedures giving each piece an appearance and a unique feature. Not suitable for infants food and follow-on formulas (until 3 years old), not suitable for food storage. Keep in a dry warehouse.

Birch and Poplar wood
Birch and poplar wood are used because i they look nice and robust, biodegradable and compostable return to nature in a few weeks. Not suitable for traditional oven and microwave, not suitable for infants food and follow-on formulas (until 3 years old). Keep in a dry warehouse.

Mater-bi
It is an innovative family of bioplastics that use vegetable components, such as corn starch and biodegradable polymers obtained from both renewable raw materials and fossil raw materials. Keep in a dry warehouse and between 0 °C and 35 °C.

Pure cellulose wadding
It comes from cellulose fibres and it is the material that we can find on the outer membrane of vegetable organisms. Keep in a dry warehouse.

PLA polylactic acid
It is a biopolymer derived from corn starch. Bioplastic PLA is completely biodegradable and compostable in accordance with EN 13432. In optimal conditions for composting (60° C to + 95% humidity) and within industrial composting facilities, the PLA becomes compost in 45-60 days. The jars made of this material are transparent and quite similar to plastic glasses, but they have enormous benefits from the ecological point of view. Not suitable for traditional oven and microwave, not suitable for infants food and follow-on formulas (until 3 years old), not suitable for food storage. Keep in a dry warehouse and between 0 °C and 35 °C.

PLA crystallized
The PLA or polylactic acid, is a polymer derived from corn starch. If subjected to crystallization, the PLA becomes resistant and it withstands temperatures up to 80° C. Not suitable for traditional oven and microwave, not suitable for infants food and follow-on formulas (until 3 years old), not suitable for food storage. Keep in a dry warehouse.

Cellulose pulp
It comes from the residual fibres of some plants processing, especially from bamboo and cane. Cellulose is one of the most important polysaccharides. Dishes made of cellulose pulp are suitable for food contact in accordance with the applicable provisions of law. They can also contain liquids, they are heat resistant and they can be used in a traditional oven or microwave for a short period. Not suitable for infants food and follow-on formulas (until 3 years old), not suitable for food storage. Keep in a dry warehouse.

Biodegradability - What does it mean?
It's the ability of a substance to be decomposed by nature, or rather, by bacteria that live in the soil and surface water. Bacteria transform the organic matter into carbon dioxide which once released into the atmosphere is absorbed by trees, plants and algae to synthesize substances (e.g. sugars) that are essential to our survival. So the natural cycle continues.

What does readily biodegradable mean?
The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) has developed guidelines to determine the biodegradability: OECD method 301. A substance "readily biodegradable" will successfully pass the OECD test only if displaying a biodegradability higher than 60 % in 28 days.

What is a renewable raw material?
It's a raw material that was produced during the last 100 years from plants or animals.

What does compostable mean?
It can be defined as a specific type of biodegradation that occurs in both industrial and home composting plants.

What are the requirements for compostable?
To be considered compostable according to UNI EN 13432 a material has to meet the following requirements:

• Biodegradability is the metabolic conversion of material into carbon dioxide. Biodegradability is measured by the standard test EN 14046 (also known as ISO 14855: biodegradability under controlled composting conditions). If the material biodegrades 90% in less than 6 months, it can be considered a biodegradable one.
• Disintegrability: lack of visual contamination. The material fragments and loses visibility in the final compost.
  The test that measures the Disintegrability takes place on a pilot scale and it is called EN 14045: this material is composted with organic waste for three months. At the end of the 3 months the resulting compost is analysed ad evaluated with a minimum rate of 2 mm. In order to pass the test, the remaining material, exceeding 2mm in size, must display a total mass which is less than 10% of the initial one.
• Heavy metals must be under default range.
• No negative effects on the composting process. The composting process follows a pilot scale.
• No negative effects on the quality of compost.
• Through a OECD modified test it is possible to watch and analyse the growing process of plants on compost samples where the material under observation ended degradation. In order to pass the test there should be no difference between those samples of compost and a compost control.
• After degradation there should be no change of chemical-physical parameters: pH, N, P, Mg, K, salinity, volatile solids.

Why is it important to use disposable biodegradable?
In a consumer society, landfill sites are filled with tons of plastic. Even the oceans have become dumping ground which is the result of years of accumulated waste: both on the shores and oceans, plastic islands have formed in the past years. Because of this problem people started using bioplastic, which combines the properties of plastics but it's produced using decomposable organic materials: corn starch (PLA), remains of sugar cane and pine forests (pulp). Our goal is to convince as many users as possible to use biodegradable utensils in order to improve the situation in the world.