One of the most intimate and bonding experiences you can have is sharing a meal with someone. And, when it’s at your dinner table, the pressure to create an enjoyable and comfortable environment is higher than ever. A component that you can never truly ignore in a dining setup is tableware (the little things truly do count). Having excellent tableware is important. It has the potential to completely transform your dining experience, taking away attention even from the food! And if they happen to be sustainable then they’re a perfect match made in heaven. We’ve curated a collection of innovative and exciting tableware designs that are sure to be the highlight of your next dinner party!
1. Hida-Cedar Bowls
Designed by Higashi Shunkei, these stunning wood bowls were created using cedarwood sourced from the forest in Takayama. They’re sustainable, eco-friendly, and renewable, and not to mention drop-dead gorgeous! They would make a wonderful addition to your dinner table.
Why is it noteworthy?
Called, the Hida-Cedar bowls they are spun, finished, and lacquered within Higashi Shunkei’s workshop, and showcase a beautiful dark finish with light-colored bands, bringing to mind the image of a tiger’s striped skin.
What we like
- Perfectly incorporates aesthetics and sustainability
- Each bowl has a unique distorted pattern
What we dislike
- There don’t seem to be a lot of options in color and size
2. Earth-Friendly Tumbler
PAPLUS is a new kind of thermoplastic resin that mixes biodegradable paper to add durability, heat resistance, and moldability which normal PLA lacks. This unique earth-friendly tumbler is made using this material
Why is it noteworthy?
This earth-friendly tumbler uses an environment-friendly material to create a unique texture that is much like the surface of ceramic or wooden cups. Each sip from this tumbler brings forth a wonderful flavor to your tongue, while also creating an engaging sensation to your lips.
What we like
- Uplifts the simple act of drinking water to a whole new sensory experience for your lips and tongue
- Equipped with a heat resistance of 120°, allowing you to enjoy piping hot as well as ice-cold drinks
What we dislike
- The natural color does become uneven and fade from use, which everyone may not like or prefer
3. Walnut Shell Tableware
If you mix walnut shells, pine resin, and Canauva Power you get NOS, which provides new CMFs with a wide range of colors, patterns, and light transmissions, since it involves grinding large volumes of walnut shells into different sizes.
Why is it noteworthy?
Pine resin is used to bind the NOS. Once the shell of the walnut is separated from the kernel, it is discarded as waste. This waste is being transformed into entire plates by designer SooA Choi! The plates are sustainable and eco-friendly!
What we like
- A sustainable and excellent alternative to ceramics
What we dislike
- Not the most aesthetically pleasing tableware, so won’t make a visually appealing addition to your dining table
4. Kreis Cup
Dubbed the Kreis Cup – this sustainable, durable, and eco-friendly coffee cup is designed to elevate and enhance your coffee-drinking experience. It is available in a cup and travel-mug style!
Why is it noteworthy?
The cup is heat-resistant and designed to keep your coffee hot for a longer time. It is a much better alternative to plastic mugs and breakable ceramic mugs, it is an excellent biodegradable option!
What we like
- Made from spent coffee grounds
- You can smell the faint unmistakable scent of coffee from it, making it a sensory experience for coffee lovers
What we dislike
- There is currently no scope for personalization, which can be inconvenient for users who want their personal needs to be catered to
5. Wasteware Collection
Viennese designer Barbara Gollackner collaborated with Australian chef and restaurant owner Martin Kilga to create the ‘Wasteware’ collection, a range of tableware made using leftover food! The duo created a collection of bowls, plates, and cutlery using industrial and personal food waste.
Why is it noteworthy?
The tableware items were made using food waste such as pork skin and old bread, both acquired from personal and industrial waste. The waste was dried out and then blended into a smooth paste held together by mycelium.
What we like
- Provides an effective solution to the issue of food wastage
- Colorful and vibrant aesthetics, that will add a boost of color and life to your dining table
What we dislike
- We’re unsure how durable the products are, and what is their lifespan
6. McDonald’s Reusable Tableware
French global design studio Elium Studio teamed up with McDonald’s France to build reusable tableware that can be used in the fast-food chain’s restaurants. The tableware collection is colorful and cute and made using Tritan – a plastic resin that is similar to glass and ceramic.
Why is it noteworthy?
The tableware was integrated with vents, graining, and striations to impart improved functionality and elevate the customer’s dining experience. The project has been in the works for almost two years, and it is truly commendable.
What we like
- Retains McDonald’s original essence and design philosophy while being more eco-friendly
What we dislike
- Plastic resin isn’t the most eco-friendly material out there, they could have picked a more sustainable alternative
7. Earth-Friendly Stacking Cup
You can now enjoy your favorite beverage in a stylish and minimal stacking cup that you know is saving the environment! It is made from eco-friendly synthetic materials and has a unique texture.
Why is it noteworthy?
The unique texture of the cup is much like ceramic or wood, and it offers a sensory experience to your lips and mouth. It embodies minimal aesthetics and sustainable practice and produces a soul-enriching drinking experience that you’ll never forget.
What we like
- Made from plant-derived biodegradable resin
- The material biodegrades into water and carbon dioxide through natural microbial action
What we dislike
- Aesthetically quite common to other cups on the market, nothing to set it apart
8. Smogware
The Smogware is an elegant minimal porcelain tableware collection that is really quite unique and innovative, and unlike any other tableware designs you may have seen.
Why is it noteworthy?
The designers harvested dust, notably air pollution from Rotterdam, Netherlands, and integrated it into utensils such as plates, cereal bowls, and coffee tables by harmoniously glazing the particles onto the items.
What we like
- They harvest dust and incorporate it into the tableware, without it looking like dust
What we dislike
- The backstory of the tableware may make one lose their appetite
9. Calzone
Calzone is a reusable folding plate, inspired by the Italian crescent-shaped turnovers that are a crowd favorite. The colorful and quirky product is perfect for picnics and hikes, because not only can it store food, but it also functions as a plate, making it a versatile multifunctional product.
Why is it noteworthy?
When folded, and closed in half, Calzone functions as a nifty little container, but when opened, it takes on a flat form and can be used as tableware to serve food. It’s the perfect replacement for one-time-use zipper bags and plates! Created from medical-grade silicone, Calzone is safe enough to be placed in the refrigerator, freezer, microwave, and oven.
What we like
- Multifunctional product that serves as a plate and food container
What we dislike
10. Grass-Fed Bone China
Ceramist Gregg F Moore collaborated with Dan Barber, the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill restaurant to create a line of tableware that is essentially grass-fed bone china. This is china or ceramic created from the bones of grass-fed cows and the cows that Barber raises on his farms.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Blue Hill cows consume grass, instead of following the typical grain-based farm diet. Since they devour grass, they move and roam freely in search of greener pastures. This ensures that their bones are much stronger as compared to the cows found on other conventional farms, leading to stronger, creamier, and more durable ceramics.
What we like
- The ceramics are stronger and more durable compared to the regular ones
What we dislike
- Highly priced as compared to other chinas
- Won’t be appealing to vegans and vegetarians
