Bamboo takeout containers offer a sustainable alternative free of ‘forever chemicals’

A UBC student has developed bamboo-based takeout containers that are as durable as conventional options, don’t rely on harmful “forever chemicals” and break down quickly in natural conditions.

Forever chemicals, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are commonly used in disposable packaging for their oil- and grease-resistant properties. However, they persist in the environment and have been linked to plastic pollution and serious health concerns.

With support from industry partner Bambooers Lifestyle Concept Limited, Camryn Collette, a forestry master’s student, has developed takeout plates made from bamboo and a natural, starch-based PFAS alternative. This biodegradable substance provides similar grease resistance to PFAS without the environmental cost, and meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety standards.

Throw it in the compost

To test biodegradability, Collette buried over 300 plates made from bamboo and bagasse, or sugarcane pulp. Within six months, all had fully decomposed, leaving only tiny scraps.

“Six months is the standard for industrial composting, where temperatures reach up to 60 C. Yet our custom bamboo plates degraded just as fast under normal conditions, suggesting they’ll break down easily in backyard compost,” Collette said.

Ditch the plastic

The research’s ultimate goal is to make bamboo a viable, eco-friendly alternative, says Prof. Chunping Dai, a bamboo expert in the UBC faculty of forestry, who supervised the work.

“Bamboo grows incredibly fast: you could grow a small forest in a couple of months. It’s a renewable resource that can reduce our reliance on plastics while offering the durability takeout containers need, without polluting landfills for decades.”

Learn more about the research in this video.