Bangladeshi people love to throw a party, as the disposable tableware industry has increasingly seen. They get together or organize social gatherings often, be it to celebrate festivals or go on group trips to touristy attractions. And all these occasions call for food and drinks. Single-use plastic tableware has become the go-to option at these occasions. However, for the last couple of years, plates made from areca palm (Areca catechu) leaves have been gradually replacing plastic. As per people involved in the industry, entrepreneurs in Bangladesh are producing about half a million areca leaf plates every month. Though the number is almost negligible compared to the single-use plastic plates, they said they believe that the popularity of such products is increasing among users. Currently, about 10 local companies produce such biodegradable tableware. Ecovalley, Bright Areca and Shodeshi are some of them. “As the industry is new and we do not have exact statistics, I assume that, currently, the total monthly plate production is about half a million. My company produces about 100,000 plates in a month based on demand,” said Imran Hossain, one of the partners of the country’s first and largest areca leaf tableware producer Bright Areca. Similar statistics came from another major producer, Eco Valley, as the company’s director, Md Kamal, told Mongabay that they are producing about 60,000 plates every month. “We started the production in 2021 with a monthly demand of around 20,000 pieces of plates. In four years, the production [increased] three-fold,” he said regarding…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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