Sugarcane

What exactly is it?

Sugarcane, also known as bagasse, is a renewable, fast growing resource that is grown for a number of purposes, like cane juice. Once the juice is extracted, the sugarcane stalk is usually incinerated or discarded. However, these crushed stalks can be saved and made into other items before they get thrown away. We reclaim this material and use it to make our bagasse items.

Why we use it?

We know that forests are threatened and endangered around the world, so it is important to us to find alternative materials that do not require virgin forest resources. With bagasse, you can still use high performing disposable "paper" products, but know that you are choosing a product that is made from rapidly renewable and reclaimed sugarcane instead of trees. Best of all, at the end of its life, you can put your container or plate in the commercial compost instead of the landfill.

What's cool about it?

Because we use sugarcane before it gets discarded, the stalk is now a "reclaimed resource". We are able to break it down into a pulp that can be used to make products that would otherwise be made from tree fiber. This means fewer trees are needed to make our products and we reclaimed waste that would otherwise be burned or landfilled.

What is not so cool about it?

Commercial compost facilities that accept food waste are not yet widespread in the Europe. We hope that this changes soon because sugarcane is a valuable, fibrous addition to compost that can often support the compost process. Let us know if you learn about a compost facility that is accepting sugarcane or bagasse products.