Material & Process
One material, honestly described.
Every piece in the catalogue is moulded plant fibre — no plastic lamination, no foam. Here is exactly what that means in use, and where it stops.
04
Process steps
100°C
Hot-hold
−18°C
Freezer safe
—
Compostable
What It Is
Agricultural residue,
pressed into shape.
We start with plant fibre left over from the harvest — stalk, husk and reed pulp that would otherwise be burned. It is cleaned, refined in water, and pressed under heat until it holds a form. What comes out is a rigid, single-material piece with no coating and nothing glued on.
That single-material rule is the whole point: it is why the piece can go into a compost stream instead of a sorting machine.
01
Pulping
Raw fibre is washed, screened and refined to a consistent pulp in water.
02
Moulding
Vacuum forms the pulp on a tool, then heat and pressure set the wall.
03
Curing & trimming
Pieces are dried to stable moisture, then edge-trimmed for a clean rim.
04
Inspection & packing
Weight and size are checked against the catalogue before export packing.
Performance
What it will actually do.
Indicative figures for the standard range. Exact limits depend on wall thickness and piece geometry — we confirm per item before tooling.
| Property | Performance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hot liquids | Up to 100 °C | Short contact; hot drinks and soup service |
| Hot oil / grease | Up to 100 °C, short contact | Holds fried and sauced food through a meal |
| Freezer | Down to −18 °C | Suitable for frozen storage and transport |
| Microwave | Reheating only | Short cycles; not for dry, empty heating |
| Oven | Not recommended | Direct dry heat will scorch the fibre |
| Rigidity | Self-supporting when full | Wall thickness set per piece |
| End of life | Compostable | Industrial composting; home composting for uncoated pieces |
Compared
Against the usual suspects.
A plain comparison, including the places where fibre is not the answer.
| Moulded plant fibre | PP plastic | PE-coated board | PLA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | Agricultural residue | Fossil | Virgin or recycled pulp + PE | Fermented sugar |
| Layers | Single material | Single material | Multi-material | Single material |
| Hot fill | Good | Good | Fair | Poor above ~50 °C |
| End of life | Compostable | Recyclable if sorted | Hard to separate | Industrial compost only |
| Shelf life | Long, dry storage | Indefinite | Long, dry storage | Limited in heat |
| Cost position | Mid | Lowest | Low | Highest |
Common Questions
Before you specify it.
No. The pulp is washed and refined, and the finished piece is neutral. Cutlery in particular is pressed to a dense finish so there is no splinter or paper feel.
Cups and bowls hold hot liquid through a normal service window. For very long holds, or for delivery, we recommend a fibre lid pressed to the same tolerance.
Yes. Embossing is tooled into the mould itself; printing is done on the sleeve for packaged sets. Both are quoted with the tooling.
Compostability and food-contact test reports are available on request for the relevant market. Tell us the destination and we will send the current file.
The natural finish is uncoloured. White pieces are produced to a lighter pulp specification, which we will confirm with you at quotation stage.