Unique dishes made from leaves.

Many visitors enjoy inhaling the fragrant scent of the leaf-covered cups and plates - Photo: NHAT XUAN

At the Green Growth Products and Services Exhibition 2024 (GRECO 2024) currently taking place on Nguyen Hue Street (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), many visitors stopped to admire the booths displaying various types of cups and plates made from lotus leaves, banana leaves, and Terminalia leaves... created by young people from Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry.

Beautiful, fragrant, and eco-friendly.

These cups and plates made from leaves are not only impressive for their sturdiness, thickness, and diverse designs, but also look incredibly professional when printed with logos. Even more interesting is that these products retain the natural, earthy aroma of dried leaves.

These leaf-based bowls not only hold water without leaking but also decompose quickly after use, and can even be composted into fertilizer for plants after use - Photo: NHAT XUAN

Sharing his thoughts on this idea, Associate Professor Dr. Le Hung Anh - Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Environmental Management (Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry) - said that the idea of ​​making bowls and plates from leaves started 5-6 years ago. At that time, the research group had already succeeded with products from areca palm sheaths, which were then successfully commercialized and even exported abroad.

However, products made from areca palm sheaths face many supply limitations. This led to the idea of ​​using more abundant materials such as banana leaves, lotus leaves, and Terminalia catappa leaves...

According to Mr. Hung Anh, the leaves, after being collected, are cleaned and pressed tightly under high pressure and temperature. This process helps to shape the cups and plates, giving them additional features such as water resistance, mold resistance, antibacterial properties, and durability comparable to disposable plastic products.

In addition to improving the quality of tableware made from leaves, Mr. Hung Anh said that the group has also developed various printing molds to meet diverse market demands in terms of size and design, and can even print embossed logos on the products to promote businesses' brands.

The desire to replace disposable bowls and plates.

The Director of the Institute of Environmental Science, Technology and Management shared the research team's long-term goal: to introduce tableware made from plant leaves that can replace disposable plastic tableware. The team expects the product to be widely used at large events, restaurants, tourist areas, and food festivals.

Taking Con Dao as an example, Mr. Hung Anh said that there are many fallen Terminalia leaves there. Instead of letting them become waste, local people can collect them to produce tableware for hotels and resorts.

"The process of making bowls and plates from leaves is extremely simple and easy; anyone can do it, making it suitable for small family businesses and allowing production to take place locally. This simultaneously helps develop the local economy and promotes the trend of using environmentally friendly products," Mr. Hung Anh commented.

In addition, according to Mr. Hung Anh, resorts and homestays can use tableware made from leaves to impress international tourists. Customers will not only experience the novelty of the tableware but also see the business's commitment to environmental protection.

Not only do they have advantages over disposable cups and plates, but compared to traditional products like ceramic cups and plates, Mr. Hung Anh explains that cups and plates made from leaves have environmental advantages.

Accordingly, the production process of porcelain tableware typically generates _CO2 emissions due to the need to extract raw materials from clay and fire them at high temperatures. During use, porcelain tableware also requires significant water consumption for washing, especially in restaurants using dishwashers, not to mention labor costs.

Furthermore, ceramic tableware is very difficult to decompose after use. In contrast, tableware made from leaves can completely decompose naturally after only a short period of use, and the used products can even be transformed into organic fertilizer, contributing to improving the soil environment.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/doc-dao-chen-dia-lam-tu-la-cay-20240924184921736.htm