Eco-Friendly 8 Inch Round Areca Palm Leaf Disposable Plates - 100% Biodegradable & Compostable Dinnerware for Weddings, Parties, Picnics & Special Occasions (Pack of 25) | Perfect for Outdoor Dining, Sustainable Events & Eco-Conscious Entertaining

MerciI love the idea of this product and I love the product as well. These can both be treated as disposable plates (please compost it, ideally) but can also be reusable until they start degrading too much. There are some things you need to understand about the product, however, regarding some shortcomings it may have; overall I think the pros outweigh the cons if the price point is alright for you.So, yes, these are expensive. The 8" plates come at about $1/plate while the 10" ones are around $1.44/plate. For disposable plates these come as very expensive; despite being washable and reusable, unlike paper plates, more likely than not if you are busting these out it is because you need disposable plates. The reusability might thus be a feature that will not be too often utilized, unfortunately.Compared to typical paper plates, however, these are much stronger and durable. This also comes with pros and cons. The strength of this plate comes with the fact that it is pressed palm leaf and they can be quite thick. The thickness will vary from plate to plate but also along a same plate. But even the thinner ones are quite sturdy, so you can pretty comfortably carry heavier contents without problem. Being a leaf, they are also somewhat hydrophobic so liquids will not immediately damage the plate like paper plates. The thicker material also better insulates your hands from hot foods, and not need to worry about melting or chemical leeching like with polystyrene plates.The flip side is the weight and the bulk. These take up quite a bit more space than paper plates and are significantly heavier than polystyrene plates. So bringing these to a location where the use of disposable plates will be more cumbersome. They will at least be more resistant than paper plates and are still biodegradable. These would be nice for camping trips, for example. You can bring a minimal number of plates and reuse them and finally compost or throw in the camp fire at the end.Regarding composting though, like leaves in general, they can take quite a while to decompose. Specially at the size and thickness of a palm leaf-made plate. So please do not think you can throw the used plates into the wilderness and let nature take its course--because that will take ages unless it is shredded to thin pieces. Throwing it into the compost bin is better, but even then I think breaking it into smaller pieces first is better unless you know for a fact your local composting facility will broil them down.Regarding reusing them... they can be washed. Ideally with mild detergent as to not completely strip the hydrophobic natural layer. But there are also a few considerations to make with regards to this. Since these are pressed leaves, the plates are not uniformly shaped. As such there are minor folds and ridges in them, so washing them requires a little bit of extra attention to detail.Because they are leaves, some of these folds and ridges may actually be (or form into) thin cracks. And this may be the case even on a brand new, unused plate. This was certainly the case in my experience. But thankfully having all the characteristics a thick palm leaf has, despite being able to pry the crack open, the plate was still quite strong and waterproof during use. I filled it with water and waited a few minutes; no water was observed on the table afterwards, but your mileage may vary and it also depends on the severity of the crack. It does mean that the plate in question may not be terribly reusable though.So with all that said, it sure sounds like this product (or this type of product) can be rather situational. Why the high rating then? Because I believe this product (or this type of product) is headed in a great direction in terms of a renewable resource product. In fact it is made of otherwise unused material. Fallen leaves, cleaned with steam, no added chemicals just heat pressed to shape. The end product is a highly functional plate; both strong enough to actually hold food without breaking and not needing to be afraid that sauce or liquids will promptly destroy it and make a mess. The only thing is to ideally find a way to use it in a way that can extend its life before ultimately giving it back to mother nature.OK these plates are super cool. (Naturelia™ Palm Leaf Plates Round | Elegant, Biodegradable, Natural & Eco Friendly| Wedding, Party & Event Plates (25, 10 Inch).) They are amazing as all get out. I love the palm leaf and they have a unique, earthy smell to them. A great conversation piece. These are eco-friendly as they're biodegradable, so we're not jamming up the earth with more plastic. You can clean these are re-use them if you like, at least for a while. The only drawback is, of course, they are pretty expensive. But if you can budget for them, by all means. They're sturdy and look great and help alleviate some 'disposable' guilt.