A while back, I was sent some Dandelion corn plastic tableware and utensils to review. (Ahem. A long while back. But hey! At least we've fully tested them!)
First off - corn plastic!
What?
It's exactly what it sounds like. Plastic made from corn. There's more information over here than I could easily summarize. (If you're interested in that sort of thing.) All I know is that plastic made from a renewable resource that can be grown pretty much anywhere instead of from a non-renewable resource, most likely sourced from a politically unstable foreign country, sounds pretty good to me. It's BPA, phthalate and PVC free, which I certainly appreciate.
Plus, the products are super cute! We've gotten a ton of use out of the utensils especially. The baby spoons are just the right size and shape - they're perfect for scooping out bites of kiwi or avocado for the wee ones. They're not sharp, but they're not as blunt as some other spoons, so they actually scoop nicely instead of just mashing. Perfect for cutting soft things but not at all dangerous to baby's mouth. We're just getting into using the toddler forks and spoons but so far they've been a big hit. One fork for E, one fork for me...
The plates are adorable but I find that I don't use them all that much. We use a lot of bowls, so maybe we'd be better off with a set of those! Partly, I think, E is just still too little to have her own plate and not toss everything on it onto the floor, whether intentionally or not. In addition, our plates haven't held up quite as well as the wonderful utensils. The utensils look as lovely as the day we got them. The plates, on the other hand, have gotten slightly warped and crooked. We don't microwave them or put them in a dishwasher, as the package recommended. (Heck, we don't even have a dishwasher. Unless you count me.) So I'm not exactly sure what the issue is, unless they're delicate enough that simply sitting around and having some other dishes press upon them for the amount of time they sit in the kitchen sink has been doing it. They're still functional, but they don't stack nice and neatly anymore and won't sit straight on the table.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there have been some concerns with disposing of items made from corn plastic. Though they look like conventional plastic, they can't be recycled right alongside it and can, in fact, contaminate a batch of conventional plastic, rendering it useless. And while they claim to be biodegradable, from what I've read they only break down under the super hot conditions found in industrial composting facilities. If you toss it out in your backyard, or even right in the middle of your compost pile, it could still hold up nearly as well as conventional plastic for a good long while. However! With these particular products, given that they are intended to be reused and not tossed after a single use, like, say, a water bottle made from corn plastic, I don't think that should be of much concern. It's worth considering, but in this case I think the pros outweigh the cons. You'll have to decide for yourself!
Overall, I would definitely recommend the utensils and I'd certainly give the other items - bowls, plates, etc. - a try. I love that they aren't made from petroleum products. That is a huge deal for us!
You can find the tableware here. You can also see if it is stocked somewhere near you! Happy eating!
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