Areca Leaf Tableware & Disposables
The areca leaf plates are good biodegradable natural products. In Costal area Of India, the areca leaf is abundantly available due to wide spread areca cultivation. The procured leafs are washed, soaked, moulded and baked using a simple leaf plate making machine. Currently these plates are used mostly in traditional, religious, auspicious occasions and in ceremonial functions and festivals. Different types of moulds (of various forms) like square, round, oval and rectangle can be used to give required kind of shape to the plate.
Initially the areca nut sheaths are soaked in the water for 2 days to soften the material. The sheaths are dried under the sun. These dried leafs are cleaned with brush to remove the excess sand/dirt on the leaf. The cleaned leaf is stretched little to broaden the total area of the leaf particularly the breadth of the leaf. Next the leaf is inserted into the leaf making machine. The temperature is set between 170-180 degrees centigrade as to bake the leaf. The leaf obtains its shape when the mould is pressed on it. The excess leaf is automatically cut by the machine. Different types of shapes and sizes can be obtained by changing the moulds. The machine can be easily operated by a single person, thus saving time and also increasing the production volume.
