CornWare you can eat off

At the buffet spreads for Friday night's art show opening and Saturday's one-month celebration for a friend's kid, I was delighted to find that both the caterers in question had provided CornWare, made-in-Singapore biodegradable disposable tableware. It's made of corn and yam, yet is a lot sturdier than most varieties of disposable tableware. When I was giddily pointing this out at the party on Saturday, one of my friends promptly asked, "So how long does it take to biodegrade?"

I said, "Er ... I don't know." Which was kind of embarrassing because I've known about CornWare for months, since ampulets used it at a potluck party.

So the friend --- who barely spends any time online but is always happy to suggest "projects" for my blog --- suggested that I take a (clean) plate home, hang it by the kitchen window and take a photo of it everyday to document its biodegradability.

I took the plate out of my bag last night, but before I did any stringing up today, I checked out the official website FAQ and wouldn't you know it:

4. What are the conditions necessary for CornWare to biodegrade?

It will need to be buried under a thin layer of earth and exposed to water and heat for at least 90 days prior to biodegradation.

Perfect for a landfill in Singapore, not so much for the conditions in my apartment, which completely lacks a thin layer of earth.

So much for that experiment idea. But still --- CornWare! You can find it at lots of local chain supermarkets, shelved and priced much like environmentally-unfriendly varieties (ampulets got theirs at an NTUC Fairprice supermarket, for instance). Stock up for your next party or harangue your caterer to get it.

PS: If you're in the US or Canada, you can check out biodegradable cutlery made from potato starch (via Smart People I Know).