There are some trends that make their appearance and take the world by storm but then there are those that slowly trickle down through history and find their niche a little later than they should have. A surprising number of such habits have come from India, from the magical versatility of coconut oil to the healing wonders of ‘golden milk’ (a.k.a. Haldi doodh) the world is slowly learning that India has had a pretty sizeable head start when it comes to reaping the benefits of nature. Recently, another venture has taken wing in Germany that mirrors an ancient Indian tradition, the use of leaves and leaf-based compounds as biodegradable plates.

In a bid to make another aspect of daily life a bit more sustainable, the company Leaf Republic has brought together a team of engineers and designers to create products that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are eco-friendly. They realise that the need for packaging is one that cannot be escaped but what can be avoided is the unnecessary use of plastic products. Like so many modern companies, they found their first funding via Kickstarter and as their innovative idea gained momentum they put their plan into action.

Their range of bowls, trays and plates come in a variety of shapes but have one common design, with a bio-plastic lid, two layers of leaves with a waterproof layer of leaf-made paper sandwiched in between. Their philosophy is that as humans spend so little time on the planet, what really counts is what we leave behind and ‘if these actions lead to building up a sustainable, social, gainful company, then we will have the greatest job in the world.’

Now while it’s easy to scoff and point out that the pani-puri guy at the corner has been using these for donkey’s years, not to mention the centuries of langars before that but keep in mind that this is probably the first attempt to go global. Leaf Republic’s admirable work is bringing this environmental saviour to the Western world and with luck, more and more people will turn to a greener, more sustainable way of life.

Check out the full range of products on their website.