Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
EcoTensil is based in Northern California and has distribution warehouses in both the US (Missouri) and the EU (Netherlands).
Our California HQ hours of operation are from 8:30am–5:00pm. Questions can be answered by contacting our team here.
Shopping cart orders can be processed online to the US (and territories), and within the EU, UK, and Middle East.
So how does a paper spoon work?
Q: Do EcoTensil products have any taste or texture? Can they stand up to hot products?
Think of your experience with a paper cup. It has no taste, it has a smooth, pleasing texture, it is sturdy for its purpose, it can contain hot or cold liquid, and it is sanitarily made and packaged.
EcoTensil products provide all these same attributes!
Q: What kinds of foods can be eaten with EcoTensil products?
Just about anything you can eat with a spoon and many things that you would eat with a fork.
GreenDot utensils: Most foods, and more than you can eat with a tiny plastic taster—such as chunky deli salad or soup! When folded, these sturdy tasters are strong enough to cut through even cheesecake or fudge.
BlueDot utensils:
Hold up beautifully for full servings:
- from frozen yogurt to hot chili
- strong enough to cut through cheesecake or soft cheese
- scoops chunky fruit salad
- perfect for “forkable” deli salads
- even thicker soups
Q: Can I eat soup?
Yes, both the GreenDot (sampling spoon) and BlueDot (for full servings) are perfect for soups and stews. Our deeper “bowl” allows for bigger bites and less soup spillage, and it includes a drip-stop fold.
Q: What about a fork or a knife?
For many on-the-go or takeout meals, all that’s needed is an EcoTensil and paper napkin (all paper wrapped in paper if you want to have zero plastic). If you are serving a filet of chicken that needs cutting, then you will likely need a plastic or wood fork, knife, and napkin, and also a spoon in many cases.
An EcoSpoon or even EcoTaster can be used to easily spread butter, nut butter, hummus, etc. It can scoop any scoopable dish from pasta salad to fruit salad, eggs to oats, mac and cheese to casseroles, rice to potatoes, and it can even be used to slice through easy-to-cut foods like cheesecake, coffee cake, omelet, jello, even watermelon. And of course it works great as a spoon for spoonable foods such as yogurt, parfaits, chili or thick soups. It even makes a perfect stirrer.
Why not use the most eco-efficient, lightweight utensils when you can, even if it is not for every occasion? What better way to reduce landfill than if 65% of the time you can use 15% of the material…
Q: Can I get a cut from EcoTensil paper utensils?
Because the paperboard is thick compared to a sheet of paper, EcoTensil products are too thick to easily cut skin. We have not seen evidence of this happening after selling over 100 million utensils.
Q: Can I easily put an EcoTensil product on my package to make it 100% self-contained for grab-and-go usage?
Yes! Wrapped EcoSpoons, PopOut, iScoop, SpoonLidz and GoTensil are all designed specifically to be part of single-serve, grab-and-go packaging! Click here to see more.
How sustainable is EcoTensil cutlery?
Q: Which ranges are plastic-free?
The newest AquaDot range paperboard is plastic-free and independently verified by ISEGA. It is compliant with the new EU Single-use Plastics Directive for cutlery.
Q: Which utensils are compostable?
Our GreenDot and AquaDot paperboard lines are both 100% compostable.
Our GreenDot range, including EcoTaster Mini and Mid, have a mineral-based coating as a moisture barrier and have passed the ASTM D6868 test for compostability.
The new AquaDot range, made from paperboard that is PEFC-certified from sustainably-managed forests, is also 100% compostable. AquaDot material has passed the EN 13432 certification for compostability.
Q: Can I put your compostable products into my backyard compost?
Yes, in our own “home compost” tests conducted in Northern California, GreenDot EcoTasters broke down completely in 3–4 weeks, so they will easily compost in an industrial composting facility that requires 180 days or more. Happily, the number of compost facilities continues to increase, so items like food scraps, kitchen waste, and EcoTasters can be regenerated in a closed loop lifecycle.
Q: Are your compostable products marine degradable?
Yes, in our own sea and fresh water tests, EcoTasters broke down in less than 3 weeks. Of course, EcoTensils are not intended to be disposed of anywhere but the proper waste stream.
Q: If I cannot compost, where should I dispose of EcoTasters?
If there’s no compost available, EcoTensil products are recyclable if relatively clean. If the only option is the trash (landfill), EcoTensil products are still the greenest utensil because they use 50-85% less material than plastic, bio-plastic, or wood spoons! The best way to be green is to just use less stuff!
AquaDot paperboard is certified according to EN13430 standards – issued by Institute-Cyclos HTP Germany.
Q: Some of your products are compostable. Is that the same as biodegradable?
The primary difference between compostable and biodegradable is that compostable products require certification that they can break down into usable compost in 90 to 180 days, whereas biodegradable products do not break down in that time, and, in fact, there is no specified time limit for a biodegradable product. A "biodegradable" bio-plastic fork would likely be found completely intact in a landfill 200 years from now.
Q: What if EcoTensils do end up in landfill?
EcoTensil products use much less material than other plastic, bio-plastic, and wooden spoons, sporks or forks, so using EcoTensil paperboard cutlery benefits the planet even if it ends up in landfill.
Q: Are EcoTensil products sourced from sustainably-managed forests?
GreenDot paperboard is made from FSC-certified paperboard produced from sustainably-managed forests.
AquaDot paperboard is PEFC-certified from sustainably-managed forests (Europe) Article 33 ECHA + Directive 2008/98/EC (SVHC).
Q: Are your utensils recyclable?
GreenDot and AquaDot cutlery can go into the recycling if they are relatively clean.
GreenDot paperboard is certified as recyclable EN 13430.
AquaDot paperboard is certified as recyclable according to EN 13430 issued by Institute-Cyclos HTP Germany.
The BlueDot line of utensils is not recyclable as they have a very thin poly-coating. (They can be recycled only in facilities that accept coffee cups.) We are phasing out the BlueDot range in the EU as it will not be SUPD-compliant after July 3, 2021 under the June 2021 specifications.
We do hope that one day soon, these products can be diverted from landfill as recycling processes evolve.
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Yes, to set up an account on our Shopify store, please click here.
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Once your order ships from our warehouse, you will receive an automated email with shipping confirmation and a tracking number. You may click that link to track your shipment.
You may log in to your account by selecting "Log In."
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Customers who plan to order less than 10 cases should place their orders though our online shopping cart with a credit card or through PayPal.
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You may log in to your account by selecting "Log In."
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No. Click here to see to see how to order directly from our shopping cart or from our reseller channel. [link to page with list of distributors/country flags with pop up form which asks for name, company, country and email]
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Yes we sell through food service distributors in the US and Canada. See the list on our Ordering & Shipping FAQ page or view Map - click here.
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Our ESU is the safest eating utensil used by hospitals, mental health facilities, and custody/detention centers for individuals with self-injurious behavior or on suicide watch.
The EcoSecurity Utensil is available direct via http://www.ecosecurityutensil.com.
It is also distributed by Aramark, Bob Barker, Cooks Correctional, Sodexo, and US Foods in the US.
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Orders received by our U.S. warehouse before 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time will ship out that day with UPS Ground Shipping. Orders received after 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time will ship the following business day. A confirmation email will be sent once your order ships from our warehouse.
All US orders ship from our warehouse in St Louis, Missouri.
Estimated ground transit times are (not including one business day for processing order):
- East Coast States: 3-4 business days
- Central States: 3-4 business days
- Western States: 4-5 business days
Note:
We do not ship on weekends or holidays.
Shipments during holidays can be delayed 1-3 business days. -
We offer several options for expedited shipping, including UPS Next Day Air®, 2nd Day Air®, 2nd Day Air® A.M., Next Day Air Saver®, Fed Ex Ground, and FedEx 2Day®. Unfortunately, we are not able to ship via USPS.
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Yes we sell through distributors in the US and Canada. See the list on our Ordering & Shipping FAQ page or view Map - click here.
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We currently have two EcoTensil resellers in Canada that sell our compostable GreenDot EcoTaster sampling spoons. Click here [link to pop up] to contact our CA distributors. You may also order direct from our US HQ by contacting us to place your order. Note, we have a minimum US$300 for orders outside of the US.
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You may contact us at info@ecotensil.com to request a shipping quote for your order outside of the US. There is a US$300 minimum for all international orders.
We also sell through certified EcoTensil distributors outside of the US. View list of international distributors.
For a list of international EcoTensil distributors, please email us the following information to info@ecotensil.com:
First name
Last name
Company
Company website
Country
Email -
Western Canada:
BSI Biodegradable Solutions in Vancouver, BC
Susanna Carson
office@biodegradablesolutions.com
phone: +604-630-5115
Eastern Canada:
Nova Envirocom in Quebec
phone: +866-898-6682
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Celebration (EU and UK)
Fiona Jemmott
phone: +44 1283 538259
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Epicure Trading Ltd.
phone: +64 9 377 8925
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Think of your experience with a paper cup. It has no taste, it has a smooth, pleasing texture, it is sturdy for its purpose, it can contain hot or cold liquid, and it is sanitarily made and packaged.
EcoTensil products provide all these same attributes!
-
Just about anything you can eat with a spoon and many things that you would eat with a fork.
Green Dot utensils: Most foods, and more than you can eat with a tiny plastic taster — such as chunky deli salad or soup! When folded, these sturdy tasters are strong enough to cut through even cheesecake or fudge.
Blue Dot utensils: Hold up beautifully for full servings
- from frozen yogurt to hot chili
- strong enough to cut through cheesecake or soft cheese
- scoops chunky fruit salad
- perfect for “forkable” deli salads
- even thicker soups.
-
Yes, both the GreenDot (sampling spoon) and BlueDot (for full servings) are perfect for soups and stews. Our deeper “bowl” allows for bigger bites and less soup spillage, and it includes a drip-stop fold.
-
For many on-the-go or take-out meals, all that’s needed is an EcoTensil and paper napkin (all paper wrapped in paper if you want to have zero plastic).
An EcoSpoon or even EcoTaster can be used to easily spread butter, nut butter, hummus, etc. It can scoop any scoopable dish from pasta salad to fruit salad, eggs to oats, mac and cheese to casseroles, rice to potatoes, and it can even be used to slice through easy-to-cut foods, like cheesecake, coffee cake, omelet, jello, even watermelon. And of course it works great as a spoon for spoonable foods such as yogurt, parfaits, chili, or thick soups. It even makes a perfect stirrer. If you are serving a filet of chicken that needs cutting, then you will likely need a plastic or wood fork, knife, and napkin.
Why not use the most eco-efficient, lightweight utensils when you can, even if it is not for every occasion? What better way to reduce landfill than if 65% of the time you can use 15% of the material…
-
Because the paperboard is thick compared to a sheet of paper, EcoTensil products are too thick to easily cut skin. We have not seen evidence of this happening after selling over 100 million utensils.
-
Yes! Wrapped EcoSpoons, PopOut, iScoop, SpoonLidz and GoTensil are all designed specifically to be part of single-serve, grab-and-go packaging! Click here to see more.
-
Our GreenDot paperboard products are 100% compostable and recyclable, including the EcoTaster Mini and Mid. EcoTasters have a mineral-based coating as a moisture barrier and have passed the ASTM D6868 test for compostability.
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Yes, in our own “home compost” tests, EcoTasters broke down completely in 3-4 weeks, so they will easily compost in an industrial composting facility that requires 180 days or more. Happily, the number of compost facilities continues to increase, so items like food scraps/kitchen waste and EcoTasters can be regenerated in a closed loop lifecycle.
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Yes, in our own sea and fresh water tests, EcoTasters broke down in less than three weeks. Since the EcoTasters contain no poly, there is no poly added to the marine environment.
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If there’s no compost available, EcoTasters should be disposed of in the trash (landfill). However, EcoTaster is still the greenest utensil because it uses 50-85% less material than plastic, bio-plastic, or wood spoons! If there is no food on EcoTasters, they may be placed in the recycling bin.
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The primary difference between compostable and biodegradable is that compostable products require certification that they can break down into usable compost in 90 to 180 days, whereas biodegradable products do not break down in that time, and, in fact, there is no specified time limit for a biodegradable product. A "biodegradable" bio-plastic fork would likely be found completely intact in a landfill 200 years from now.
Please see our infographic on plastic, compostable, and biodegradable utensils.
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Nothing breaks down in landfill — even carrots and newspaper don’t break down. Landfills are designed that way on purpose so as to limit methane production.
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Optimally, our GreenDot compostable sampling spoons should be placed in compost (commercial or home). They should not go into the recycling if they are contaminated with food. If they are clean they can be recycled.
The BlueDot line of utensils are not recyclable (except for facilities that accept coffee cups). One can feel better about disposing of them in the trash/landfill because BlueDot products use 50-85% less material that plastic, bio-plastic, or wood spoons. Our BlueDot utensils, including EcoSpoons, iScoops, and PopOuts, are made from silky-smooth renewable paperboard, similar to that of a paper cup, and include a very thin poly coating to allow them to last a long time in wet foods.
Utensils and straws, in general, should not be placed in the recycling bin because they are too small to go through the recycling stream.
We do hope that one day soon, these products can be diverted from landfill as recycling processes evolve.
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Yes, we do custom printing for all of our utensil lines and custom on-package utensils. Please contact us at info@ecotensil.com for more information. There’s a 50,000 unit MOQ for all custom branded utensils.
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Approximately two weeks.
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Yes, we do custom printing for all of our utensil lines and custom on-package utensils. Please contact us at info@ecotensil.com for more information and MOQs for each custom-printed utensil.
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Contact us here and someone from the EcoTensil packaging team will get right back to you. You may also request free samples.
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Yes, please contact us at info@ecotensil.com with your needs and objectives so we can guide you to a perfect fit.