Sugarcane is a great renewable resource that can be used to make 100% recyclable plastic. Because sugar cane plastic is molecularly identical to standard oil-based plastic, it is a sustainable solution. One of the important benefits of sugar cane plastic is that the process of growing the raw material (sugar cane) removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which has significant environmental benefits.

The material with which our spoons are made is also referred to as ''Green PE''.

5 misconceptions about the material of the Spoon Moment spoons

There are several misconceptions about sugar plastics that continue to circulate, which we sometimes receive comments about. The packaging world is complex and deserves much more explanation. With many years of experience in the packaging world, we can tackle those misconceptions and explain which are true and which are not.

"Sugar plastic cannot be recycled"

This is not true. Unlike biodegradable or compostable plastics, our spoons can even go through the recycling infrastructure we already have. They are collected, processed and reused in the same way as oil-based plastics. In terms of composition, it is identical to ''ordinary'' plastic and can therefore be offered with normal PMD waste.

"Sugar cane plastic biodegrades"

Not true! Our spoons are not compostable or biodegradable. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Unlike biodegradable plastic, our spoon can be processed by a normal recycling facility. Many biodegradable materials sent to landfills are not subjected to the conditions necessary to degrade quickly and efficiently.

"Sugarcane removes CO2 from the atmosphere"

This is true! Sugarcane captures CO2 from the environment as it grows, according to sources, each kilogram produced removes 3.09KG of CO2 from the air.

While most carbon-scavenging materials (such as wood) release this carbon when burned, sugar plastics are recycled. This means that the carbon they have captured is not released back into the atmosphere. Sugar cane is harvested each year, allowing a new crop to capture and store carbon. The more that is produced, the more carbon is collected from the atmosphere and stored.

"The sugar cane spoon is not sustainable"

Not true! Sugar cane is fast becoming a sustainable solution for less environmentally friendly packaging materials and is considered a renewable resource that is sustainable - unlike paper or glass.

The process of making a spoon from sugarcane is complex and involves first grinding the sugarcane stalks to release the sugar juices. The next breaking phase further breaks down the sugar, which is then used to produce bio-ethanol (a plant-based alcohol). This bioethanol is used as a petrol substitute or to make biobased plastic. The producers use the biofuel for the production facility, making them less dependent on fossil fuels.

"Then why not use a wooden spoon or use it in glass bottles?"

Wood is generally not necessarily more environmentally friendly than our biobased spoons, this is because it is much more difficult to recycle and releases carbon when burned.

The content could also be delivered in glass bottles, but is this really that sustainable? Did you know that for beverage bottles we use about 24 times as much glass as plastic for packaging the same amount of liquids? Now you may think, but can you reuse a glass bottle? You can reuse a glass water bottle about 8 times before it needs to be remelted into a new glass bottle. And in the reuse phase you use water and aggressive chemicals for intermediate cleaning. The glass shows defects over time, such as small cracks, and is then ground for recycling into new glass. Recycling glass takes about the same amount of energy as making a completely new glass bottle. Not as durable as you might think.

Did you know: Due to the higher weight of glass, we spend almost twice as much on transporting glass. Studies show that the actual number ranges from 1.6 to 1.8 times the energy used to transport liquids in glass compared to plastic

Everything at a glance:

• It is a sustainable and future-proof alternative to traditional plastics.
• There is no carbon dioxide emission during production and removes CO2 from the air.
• The spoons are 100% recyclable, as long as the end user cooperates, of course! A better environment also starts with yourself 💚
• You can simply dispose of the spoons with normal or plastic waste.
• It is more environmentally friendly than wood or a glass bottle.
• It is a very safe material and is BPA free.
• The product has a much longer shelf life than if you bought these ingredients separately.

Spoon Moment advocates truly sustainable alternatives as part of our environmental policy and therefore makes our packaging circular ♻️

More about our reduce, reuse & recycle system coming soon...