WOODEN PRODUCTS

There’s a long history of wooden dishes in Britain dating right back to the Iron Age. They only became less popular in the late 17th and early 18th centuries with the advent of inexpensive glazed pottery. Recently though wooden plates and bowls are gaining in popularity as an eco-friendly tableware choice. But are they right for you? To help you with your decision I’m going to outline the benefits and drawbacks of eating off wooden dishes.

When choosing to use wooden dishes you’re obviously also making the decision not to choose another type of dinnerware, so as well as looking at wood’s beneficial characteristics and I’ll compare it to other popular tableware materials.

• Natural

First off, wood’s a natural material. This means it’s biodegradable and renewable. Biodegradable means it’s easily broken down and recycled by nature. It will return to the soil, adding nutrients, if left outside for a few years. Renewable means it can be replaced by growing more. Therefore, provided we replace the trees we use with the same amount then wood is a sustainable material.

• Calming

Handling a wood bowl or cup is a very tactile, satisfying experience. Research has shown that we have a deep connection with the natural world and respond positively to biophilic design. Using wooden plates, bowls and dishes can strengthen this connection to nature in our daily lives. As a consequence, we’ll increase our sense of well-being.

• Insulating

Wooden bowls are suitable for hot as well as cold food. Wood is a natural insulator. So wooden bowls help to keep your meal warm whilst protecting your hands from extreme heat. Holding a wooden bowl full of porridge on a chilly morning is a wonderful experience.

• Long Lasting

Another great characteristic of wood is its durability. Good quality wooden tableware is exceptionally long lasting and ages well. If cared for woodware will retain its good looks year after year. Its toughness also means it can withstand the rigors of daily family mealtimes. Breakages and chips are a rare occurrence.

Advantages over plastic (including melamine)

• Eco friendly

I’ve already stated that wood’s a natural material. As such it is part of the earth’s cycle and decomposes to be naturally recycled. All forms of plastic, synthetic and biobased are not natural but created through industrial chemical processes, using non-renewable resources, that generate toxic emissions. It’s widely acknowledged that plastic is a real problem for the planet and wildlife. This is because once discarded it takes hundreds of years to break down. Unfortunately even after all that time, it cannot fully decompose but just breaks into smaller and smaller pieces to become microplastics. These microplastics are now seen as a major menace to wildlife as they are ingested and have now found their way into the human food chain. Managing plastic waste by incinerating it causes environmental problems. The small percentage that’s recycled is just using more energy and chemicals so every stage of plastics life span has a negative impact on the planet. So buying less of it’s a great way to help the planet.

In contrast, the production and processing of wood use far, far less energy than that of plastics, giving wooden products a significantly lower carbon footprint.

• Clean

It’s a misconception that wooden surfaces are dirtier or somehow not as clean as plastic. Dr. Dean Cliver, Professor of Food Safety at the University of California, undertook research comparing bacteria levels on wooden and plastic chopping boards. His full report on food safety and woodware can be read here. This and other studies found that wood actually retains fewer bacteria than plastic. It has also been proved that wood is naturally antibacterial.

A few of the amazing wooden home utensils which I have personally used and found perfect for daily usage and of the best quality are listed below.

If you want to grab them you can grab them below :