Banana Leaves Beat Plastic

I’m sure you’ve seen something like the picture below before in your local grocery store or gas station. To me, it is a bit silly to put a peeled mandarin orange in a plastic container when it already has a peel. Like, it comes with its own packaging-come on. Though, I do see the appeal for those who struggle with arthritis, or something similar, to have already peeled fruit ready to eat. Most of the time stores provide this option for people on the go or to maintain freshness. But, again…I would say the natural peel would keep it the most fresh. Anywho! Markets in Thailand, Vietnam, and other parts of Southeastern Asia are creating a great alternative to packaging for produce! They are using banana leaves. 

picture from https://www.worldofvegan.com/plastic/

Not only is the banana leaves alternative perfect for cutting down on plastic waste, but also aesthetically pleasing. Look how beautiful this stand looks. 

picture from https://www.intelligentliving.co/banana-leaves-packaging/

And to use the words that intelligentliving stated, the markets participating in this are literally going green. We love to see it. The banana leaves are harvested when they are fully matured proving length and durability. They are then tied with the outer sheath of bamboo stalks as twine. The banana leaf packaging is ideal for produce as it has a short shelf life being that the banana leaves are biodegradable. And it is an ideal substitute in parts of Southeastern Asia as banana trees are very common. 

I would love to see something like this implemented at shops in the United States. Unfortunately, the banana leaves would not be accessible in such a way like it is in Thailand or Vietnam. Some states here would be able to swing it like Florida, California, Texas, Louisiana, Hawaii. Banana leaves are used within cultural cuisine and this is where we would see them being used most often in the states, like Hawaii. But the idea of it being used for produce packaging is not popularized in the U.S. yet. Some suppliers are starting to experiment with the packaging of banana leaves like the Cedar Market Ranch. They promote it as a sustainable alternative to synthetic packaging for restaurants and catering companies. (www.thecedarmarketranch.com/products/bulk-banana-leaf) 

The banana leaf solution to packaging waste is pretty amazing. In the states, we are moving away from plastic waste; reusable bags in super markets and the paper straws that are not a huge hit. But nonetheless, we are trying to be more green. The changes in Thailand and Vietnam may not seem to affect us in the U.S. but it makes a difference in the grand scheme of plastic waste in the world. Go banana leaves! 

Take a drink every time I said banana leaves. Thank you for reading!

Sources: 

Andrea D. Steffen https://www.intelligentliving.co/banana-leaves-packaging/ April 18, 2019  

The Cedar Market Ranch www.thecedarmarketranch.com/products/bulk-banana-leaf 

World of Vegan https://www.worldofvegan.com/plastic/  Apr 12, 2021 (Updated Apr 19, 2024)