FAQs
EcoTensil is based in Northern California and has distribution warehouses in both the US (Missouri) and the EU (Netherlands).
Our California HQ hours of operation are from 8:30am – 5:00pm Pacific Time. Questions can be answered by contacting our team here.
Shopping cart orders can be processed online to the US (and territories), and within the EU, UK and Middle East.
How sustainable is EcoTensil® cutlery?
Q: What are EcoTensil products made of?
All our lines are made from certified sustainable paperboard. Our AquaDot™ product range is made from paperboard that is PEFC®‡-certified from sustainably-managed forests and independently certified as plastic-free by Din Certco. It is compliant with the new EU Single-Use Plastics Directive for cutlery. The GreenDot™ paperboard is made from FSC®†-certified paperboard and also produced from sustainably-managed forests.
Q: Which utensils are compostable?
Our GreenDot and AquaDot paperboard lines are both industrially and home compostable.
Q: Can I put your compostable products into my backyard compost?
Yes, in our own “home compost” tests, GreenDot EcoTasters® broke down completely in 3-4 weeks, so they should easily compost in an industrial composting facility that requires 180 days or more. Happily, the number of compost facilities continues to increase, so items like food scraps/kitchen waste and EcoTasters can be regenerated in a closed loop lifecycle.
Q: Are your compostable products marine degradable?
Yes, in our own sea and fresh-water tests, our EcoTaster paperboard broke down in less than three weeks.
Q: If I cannot compost, where should I dispose of EcoTasters?
If there’s no compost available, EcoTensil products should be disposed of in the trash (landfill). EcoTensil products are still the greenest utensil because they use 50–85% less material than plastic, bio-plastic, or wood spoons! If there is no food on EcoTasters, they may be placed in the recycle bin.
Q: Some of your products are compostable. Is that the same as biodegradable?
The primary difference between compostable and biodegradable is that compostable products require certification that they can break down into usable compost in 90 to 180 days, whereas biodegradable products do not break down in that time, and in fact, there is no specified time limit for a biodegradable product. A "biodegradable" bio-plastic fork would likely be found completely intact in a landfill 200 years from now.
Q: What if EcoTensils do end up in landfill?
EcoTensil products use much less material than other plastic, bio-plastic, and wooden spoons, sporks or forks, so using EcoTensil paperboard cutlery benefits the planet even if it ends up in landfill.
Q: Are EcoTensil products sourced from sustainably-managed forests?
GreenDot paperboard is made from FSC®†-certified paperboard produced from sustainably-managed forests.
AquaDot paperboard is PEFC®‡-certified from sustainably-managed forests (Europe) Article 33 ECHA + Directive 2008/98/EC (SVHC).
Q: Are your utensils recyclable?
Optimally, our GreenDot compostable sampling spoons should be placed in compost (commercial or home). If they are clean they can be recycled*, but they should not go into the recycling if they are contaminated with food. Check with your local recycling facility.
Our GreenDot and AquaDot products are certified as recyclable according to EN 13430.
The BlueDot™ line of utensils is not recyclable as they have a very thin poly-coating. (They can be recycled only in facilities that accept coffee cups.) We are phasing out the BlueDot range in the EU as it is no longer SUPD-compliant under the June 2021 specifications.
We do hope that one day soon, these products can be diverted from landfill as recycling processes evolve.