Why We Don't Make Single Use Products

At Astrik, our biodegradable bioplastics often lead to questions about making disposable items. While eco-friendly bioplastics are clearly better than regular single-use plastics—they cut down plastic pollution in oceans and landfills, and lower carbon emissions—we do things differently. We focus on crafting durable, reusable products for daily life, not disposables.

For the past ten years, our answer has been clear: no thanks to single-use. We know that single-use items are a huge waste of our planet's limited resources. On top of that, they encourage us to buy without thinking and to be careless about pollution.

Everything we create has some impact. Nature's byproducts are always used again in a continuous cycle of growth. However, when people make things, many of the byproducts actually harm the environment. While this can feel overwhelming, we've made big progress over the last 50 years in controlling dangerous pollutants. Right now, the biggest concern for all of us is greenhouse gases and their role in climate change.

Can the way we make things eventually be as good as nature's processes? Yes! We admire those who work tirelessly toward this goal. Every new invention helps us reduce our environmental footprint, and we're committed to bringing these improvements into your home. Your part is to make sure our impact was worth it.

Consider this simple idea: our environmental impact divided by how many times you use something. If a product costs 100kg of CO2 to make and you use it 100 times, that's 1kg of CO2 per use. If you use it 5,000 times, the impact per use drops a lot. But if you use it just once? That's 100kg of CO2 for hardly any benefit—that's the core problem with single-use items, biodegradable or not.

Beyond the physical waste, we believe single-use items also lead to a "throwaway culture." This means we value quick convenience over being thoughtful. Think of all the energy spent on a fork used for just a few minutes! We get that convenience is nice, which is why all our products are dishwasher safe. We focus on conveniences that make you want to use the product more, not less.

We believe a truly sustainable future isn't about perfection, but about intention. While becoming a "Zero Waste warrior" may not be for everyone, each conscious choice we make helps shift the tide. Together, by embracing products designed to last and rethinking our daily habits, we can foster a more mindful world.