A group of young Peruvians aim to commercialize plates made out of banana leaves to tackle dependency on single use plastics.
Chewa Plant, a company headed by Josué Soto and Rolf Torres Lizárraga, has the aim to manufacture and commercialize disposable containers made out of banana leaves. Their first product is Bio Plant, a plate that can decompose in two months instead of 500 years, as is the case with single-use, styrofoam containers.
The company works with local producers in the Amazon region to make the product, providing them with fair wages and technical trainings to show them how to use the waste derived from banana cultivation.
The project has been partly financed through the Bio Challenge, a contest created by the program Innóvate Perú that is funded by the Ministry of Production. With the funding, the company was able to acquire machinery for the production of the disposable containers made out of banana leaves.
The product is resistant to liquids and various temperatures. The company aims to market their product to eco-friendly restaurants and other beverage and food establishments. They are now equipped to manufacture 50,000 dishes monthly.
Source: Intelligent Living.
Photo: Chewa Plant Facebook Page.
