Introducing the Leafware Holiday Gift Basket

The holiday shopping season is fast approaching, and Paperless Kitchen is pleased to announce that we've added a great holiday gift to our inventory--the Leafware Holiday Gift Basket!

The Leafware Holiday Gift Basket is a great holiday gift for an individual, a family or even an office. Packed with 300 pieces of biodegradable and compostable disposable palm leaf dinnerware and birch bark silverware, the gift basket makes skipping dish-washing a completely green task. Everything is presented in a beautiful reusable wicker basket tied with a natural bow, so all you need to do is present it to the lucky recipient of your gift. You can even have us ship the gift for you if you wish!

Inside of the Leafware Holiday Gift Basket is:

 - 24 sets of full-size Leafware cutlery with knives, forks and spoons

- 100 mini Leafware tasting spoons for appetizers

- 25 Leafware 3" ramekins for appetizers and sauces

- 25 Leafware  6"x9" utility plates for long foods like sandwiches

- 25 Leafware  7" round bowls for soups and stews

- 16 Leafware 5-inch square side plates and 16 Leafware 7-inch square side plates for side dishes, salads and desserts

- 16 Leafware 9-inch square dinner plates for entrees

- 4 Leafware 10"x14" platters for serving

 You can purchase the Leafware Holiday Gift Basket for just $120.99, and shipping is free due to the cost of the gift! You can learn more about the gift set on the official shopping page .

Where Toxins Could Be Lurking in Your Kitchen

You want your kitchen to be filled with warmth, the scents of delicious foods, the laughter of your family, but toxins? No thanks. Unfortunately, the average American's kitchen is home to many toxins, but you can eliminate many of them. Here are the six biggest sources of toxins in the kitchen.

1. Cookware - That Teflon coating that makes your pots easy to clean, also contains chemicals that can flake off in your food.

Solution: Invest in stainless steel, cast iron or ceramic cookware and an eco-friendly dish scrubber and dish sponge. It may require a little elbow grease to clean, but you won't be exposing yourself to toxins.

 TWIST DISH DUMPLING SCRUBBER                  TWIST NAKED SPONGE KIT

2. Plastic Dinnerware - Much of the plastic dinnerware on the market contains BPA, melamine, phthalates and other nasty chemicals that have been proven to be toxic.

Solution: Switch to certified nontoxic nontoxic plastic and stainless steel dinnerware for you and your kids. Products from thinkBaby, Green Sprouts, Green Toys and Preserve are all great solutions.

 THINKBABY BLUE FEEDING SET                  GREEN SPROUTS WARMING PLATE

3. Wooden Cookware - Many people automatically think that wooden spoons, cutting boards and other utensils and essentials are safer to use than plastic, but unfortunately, many of these products are glued together using toxic formaldehyde-based adhesives.

Solution: Replace your wood with Bambu bamboo cooking utensils that are made with nontoxic adhesives and are more sustainable than wood.

                                      BAMBU BAMBOO KITCHEN BASICS SET

4. Produce - Unless you only buy organic, the fruits and veggies that you use to cook with are major sources of toxins.

Solution: Clean your produce with Eat Cleaner wipes or sprays prior to enjoying them fresh or in recipes.

  EAT CLEANER PRODUCE WIPES           EAT CLEANER WIPES -  GRAB N' GO PACK

5. Clean Products - Chemical-based cleaning products can contain a host of toxic chemicals.

Solution: Use Microfiber green cleaning cloths that lift away bacteria and dirt with the help of just plain water.

                                 E-CLOTH GENERAL PURPOSE CLOTHS - 4 PACK

6. Food Storage - BPA and other nasty plastic additives are found in many of the Tupperware containers and similar storage solutions for food on the market.

Solution: Use tempered glass or nontoxic plastic products like Wean Green, Fit & Fresh and Green Sprouts.

    WEAN GREEN GARDEN PACK           GREEN SPROUTS FOOD STORAGE CUBES

                               FIT AND FRESH LUNCH SET - REMOVABLE ICE PACK

Spring Tablescape Ideas with Green Disposables

1. Daffodil Delight - Set fresh cut yellow daffodils in tall vases in the middle of the table. Choose crisp white table linens and set the table with Bamboo StudioMalibu Dinnerware. 

Finish with MyDrap Napkins in Lemon Yellow and you have one delightful table.

2. Birdie Beautiful - Place some wooden birdhouses in the middle of the table decorated with some spring greenery or left au natural. Use a shabby chic rose-printed table cloth along with our Bambu Veneerware dinnerware

and MyDrap Napkins in Sand or Ecru to complete the look.

 Sand  Ecru

3. Totally Tulip - When Easter flowers make their appearance on the market, buy some potted tulips. Cover the pots in upcycled spring colored wrapping paper or fabric scraps. Place on a gray tablecloth with Leafware dinnerware and MyDrap napkins in Fuchsia. 

4. Brilliant Buffet - Having a large party with a buffet setup? Cover the table with a white cloth and buy some turquoise chevron or polka dot fabric to use as a runner along the middle of the table. Hang Hip Hooray Spring Garlands on the front and put our Eco Products Divided Plates and other green disposables along with MyDrap napkins in Caribbean Blue.

Have any spring tablescape ideas of your own that feature green disposables? Share them in the "Comments" section!

The Worst Toxins in Kids' Products

This week, the Washington Toxics Coalition released a report that summarizes the findings of an examination of over 4,605 children's products sold in the state of Washington. The coalition's job is to monitor these products in accordance with the Children's Safe Products Act, which requires manufacturers of products for kids to report the use of potentially harmful materials in their products.

The report from the WTC shows six different types of products where there are particularly dangerous levels of chemicals: children's tops, which contain phthalate toxins; dolls and stuffed animals that contain BPA; plastic vehicles that contain a carcinogenic flame retardant; baby car seats, which are made with carcinogenic flame retardants; children's tableware, which was found to contain formaldehyde and kids' personal care products, which were laden with toxic parabens.

The report shows how choosing green products for kids can greatly reduce their exposure to toxic materials. Paperless Kitchen can help you avoid carcinogens and reproductive and endocrine toxins in kids' products with many different products, including:

- Tableware from GREEN TOYS made from certified nontoxic recycled plastic

             Green Toys Green Eats Tabletop Set - 3 Pieces

- Tableware from BAMBU made from organic bamboo

               Bambu Bamdino Veneerware Bamboo Plate

                  Bambu Bamboo Bamdino Utensil Set

- Toys from GREEN TOYS made from recycled milk jugs

                               Green Toys Pizza Parlor Set 

- Tableware from GREEN SPROUTS made from nontoxic plastics and corn-based plastics

    Green Sprouts Eco-Friendly Cornstarch Divided Plate

- Tableware from THINKBABY fabricated out of nontoxic polypropylene plastic and stainless steel

                            thinkbaby BPA Free Teal Feeding Set

New Green Disposables from Eco Products

We have recently expanded our collection of Eco Products green disposables to give you more ways to enjoy the convenience of throwaway dinnerware without contributing to the planet's paper or plastic waste problems. Like all Eco Products products, these items are biodegradable and compostable.

Here are some of the new products:

1. Eco Products Hot Cups - Made out of PLA corn-based plastic and sugarcane, these cups come in different sizes and keep your fingers safe from hot drinks.

                                    12 ounce Hot Cups

2. Eco Products Cold Cups - These 100 percent PLA cups are ideal for all kinds of cold drinks. They come in different sizes and coordinate with domed lids for on-the-going sipping without any spills.

3. Eco Products Drinking Straws - Available in two different sizes, these straws are wrapped in sugarcane paper and are made of PLA.

4. Eco Products Soup Containers - These ultra durable bowls are extra thick for soups and stews. They are crafted out of sugarcane and lined with PLA.

Check out these new items and the rest of our Eco Products offerings here at Paperless Kitchen.

New Green Toys Products Waiting to Be Discovered

We've carried Green Toys recycled plastic toys since we opened, and we've heard plenty of great feedback about the quality of these nontoxic alternatives to the ordinary toys on the market. Recently, we had the opportunity to expand our line of Green Toys products, and we're pleased to unveil the new items:

- Green Toys Green Eats Divided Plates - These nontoxic recycled plastic plates are ideal paper plate alternatives that can be washed and reused multiple times. The plates are sold in 2-packs and come in four colors.

- Green Toys Green Eats Dinnerware Sets - The cup, bowl and plate in this three-piece set are each designed for little hands. The plastic is nontoxic and recycled.

- Green Toys Pizza Parlor Set - A great holiday gift idea, this food-safe, nontoxic set lets kids imagine their own pizza parlors. The set even comes with a pizza box, a slicer and order forms for pretend play.

You can check out these in all of our other Green Toys products on our brand homepage.

Send Home the Holiday Leftovers the Green Way

We've recently added Wean Green products to our inventory here at Paperless Kitchen, and the timing couldn't be more perfect. These containers are the eco friendly way to pack leftovers from those special holiday dinners to save in the fridge or send home with friends and family.

Wean Green containers are made out of tempered glass and have securely fastening nontoxic plastic lids. Unlike other similar food containers that you'll find on the market, these colorful and durable options have been rigorously tested to ensure that the tabs don't break off with frequent use. If a tab can go through 3 million openings and closings in the lab, it's sure to hold up in your home.

We have Wean Green containers in a wide variety of sizes, so head over to the brand page and stock up for the holidays! 

                                       WEAN GREEN WEAN TUBS GARDEN PACK 

Green Your Holiday Table with Preserve and Bambu

You've just realized you have more guests for that special holiday dinner than you have matching dishes or silverware! What do you do? Instead of purchasing items that may or may not be eco-friendly, try these green dinnerware products that will decrease the size of your eco footprint on Turkey Day and throughout the rest of the year. The products are made by Bambu, a brand that produces dinnerware out of organically grown, fair trade bamboo, and Preserve, a company that offers dinnerware made out of recycled BPA and melamine-free plastic.

1. Preserve Everyday Plates 9.5" - Available in four stylish colors, these plates are perfectly sized for a big Thanksgiving meal.

2. Bambu Bamboo Knife, Spoon and Fork Set - Buy a set for every guest at the dinner, and you'll have silverware taken care of! There is even a smaller sized set for kids.

3. Preserve Everyday Cups - These durable cups are perfect tumblers for water and come in hues to match the Preserve plates.

4. Preserve Everyday Bowls - Also sold in shades to coordinate the other Preserve dinnerware items, these bowls hold 16 ounces of hot or cold foods.

5. Preserve Reusable Cutlery - This plastic silverware is so sturdy and easy to use that it will change the way you think about plastic forks, knives and spoons!

Which Preserve color do you like the best? Check out our product pages and let us know!

A Closer Look at Leaf & Fiber

Last time, we gave you some great ideas for serving Thanksgiving with green disposables to cut down on cleaning time. In that post, we gave a quick introduction to Leaf & Fiber, our newest line of products. This line of disposable dinnerware is made out of leaf waste collected from Areca palm trees. The leaves are washed, dried and then baked into a variety of dinnerware options. No chemicals are added to the leaf fibers, making the dinnerware both nontoxic and biodegradable.

 The Leaf & Fiber collection includes:

 - Traditional Round Plates in 10, 9 and 6-inch sizes

- Modern Square Plates in 10, 8 and 6-inch sizes

- Round and Square Bowls 

- Trays in Oval, Rectangular and Quadral Shapes

Our Leaf & Fiber dinnerware comes in multiple quantities to suit your needs. Head on over to the Leaf & Fiber brand page an check all of the options.

Wash Less Dishes on Thanksgiving with These Chic Disposables

If you're hosting friends and family for Thanksgiving dinner this year, you'll be spending plenty of time in the kitchen. The last thing you want to do is spend hours washing dishes after the meal or once your guests go home. This year, you can save yourself some dishwashing without compromising the beauty of your tablescape with by using green disposables in place of your ordinary china. These are 10 of our favorites for the Thanksgiving table from the Leafware and Leaf & Fiber collection of palm leaf dinnerware and the MyDrap cloth paper napkin collection.

1. Leafware 3" Single Bite Plates - These cute round plates are great side plates for sauces and relishes.

2. MyDrap Bundle in Ecru - Using a flashy tablecloth for your holiday dinner? Pair it with these neutral Ecru cloth disposable napkins to complement the look without detracting from it.

3. Leaf & Fiber 10" Round Plates - If you like round plates for your dinnerware, these 10-inch ones will give guests plenty of space to heap on the delicious dishes.   

4. MyDrap Gray Folded Napkin Bundle  - Smoky and sleek, cool and classy, gray makes a real statement in the dining room and coordinates with many different table linens and place settings.

5. Leafware 9" Square Plates - With these square plates, you can give your table a modern look that is ultra stylish.

6. MyDrap Folded Cotton Napkin Bundle in Lipstick Red - Bringing a sense of fashionable flair to Thanksgiving Dinner, these lipstick red disposables are lovely choices for the table.

7. Leaf & Fiber Cafe Oval Duo - Serving a relish tray or two small side dishes? Place them side by side on this stylish server.

8. Leafware 3" Ramekins - The square ramekins make charming bread plates for rolls and croissants.

   9. Leaf & Fiber 10" by 6" Quadral Plates - The unique shape of this server makes all types of foods look like they're being served at a 5-star restaurant.

10. Leaf & Fiber 12" by 10" Serving Tray - This big server is great for presenting sliced turkey and other Thanksgiving favorites.

Which chic green disposables will you be using this Thanksgiving? Let us know in the "Comments" section.