There are many nice things about these sets, but for me the highlight is the cutlery. Pressed from birch, they are light, biodegradable and much nicer to eat with than the brittle plastic alternatives. Taking your own cutlery from home and washing it afterwards is still the most eco choice, but if this is too heavy or impractical then birch is the best option. It is a fast growing deciduous tree and the timber is almost tasteless, which is why it is the preferred wood for toothpicks.

The plates are made from100% sugar cane but they don’t taste sweet! They are made from bagasse, which is the fibrous pulp left over after processing sugar cane. This is a great use of a material which would otherwise go to waste and gives an additional source to income to the communities which farm the sugar cane.

The bowls are also made from a waste product, the leaves from the areca palm, which is a palm tree common in southern India. The leaves naturally fall to the ground as the palm matures and they are otherwise burned or composted. Making them into bowls makes sense and makes great bowls.