Compostable Cutlery in British Columbia Magazine

The eco-friendly fork was published in British Columbia Magazine. Click on the image to enlarge. 

British Columbia Magazine: Aspenware's Environmentally-Friendly Cutlery.

The eco-friendly fork 

Here’s a new green tool for our backpack: guilt-free disposable cutlery. Invented in British Columbia, Aspenware is made from laminated birch and aspen and can be composted after use. The product utilizes waste wood left behind in logged areas, and even its cellulose packaging is 100-percent compostable and biodegradable. 

“When the plastics industry realizes that we make a stronger, better product, and it’s Earth-friendly, they can’t compete,” says Terry Bigsby, a co-founder of Aspenware. 

Four teachers (Terry and Bob Bigsby, Mike Allen, and Claus Gerlach) teamed up in 2000 to develop the cutlery. They built a press, something like a waffle iron, that binds the wood layers together with an all-natural, government-certified glue. Unlike plastic picnicware, which will not biodegrade naturally, Aspenware will decompose in about six weeks. 

Aspenware is currently manufactured in Lumby, with plans to expand the company within B.C. and into Ontario and the U.S. Check the company website for a full list of Canadian retailers, including Pharmasave and Home Outfitters. 

Info: Aspenware ()
- Lori Henry