Review & Giveaway: Hefty Basics Paper Plates

When we have BBQ's in the summer months, I refuse to add to my clean up list. Yes, I know disposable isn't great for the environment, so I try to make choices that don't necessarily end up in the landfill right away. We serve foods that avoid extra eating utensils for instance, and instead of plastic cups that end up in the trash instead of the recycling bin, we try to purchase drinks that have containers that can be recycled. Now when it comes to what you're eating off of - let's be honest - if you cheap out and pick up those thin paper plates - you know, the ones that you can get at the dollar store - you end using 3 or 4 just to get the plate thick enough it doesn't bend under the weight of your food. That can't be any better than purchasing the thicker Styrofoam ones in the long run, right?


Last fall, I discovered Hefty Basics Paper Plates just in time for the munchkin's birthday. Hefty Basics are a thicker paper plate that hold up to a full plate load ;) but - drum roll - they also happen to be biodegradable and compostable in your backyard compost pile! Even better? They are microwaveable, unlike styrofoam. So when I was approached about these awesome plates, I happily said I'd love to do an official review!

I actually keep several packages on hand now all year round as part of our emergency preparedness supplies. When we were waterless a few weeks back thanks to the frozen pipes, we used these to eat off of so dishes didn't pile up around the sink. The great part about the Hefty Basics plates for us too was that we could also just toss them in our woodstove so they were disposed of quickly. You can't do that with styrofoam! (Well, I suppose there is some lunatic out there who would, but I'm cringing just thinking of the chemicals in the air from it!)

Another great part about these plates is that they are a basic beige - there are no inks used to make a fancy design. Alright, so it may seem a little boring at first, but I'd like to think it's the food you're serving up that folks are looking at, not the plate! They have held up well for us, including everything from hamburgers and hot dogs, to pasta and macaroni and cheese. DH microwaved some leftover fried chicken on one awhile back, and it held up just fine even with the extra grease from the chicken.

Hefty Basics Paper Plates are available in two sizes: 10-1/4" that come in a 24 count package and 8-5/8" that come in a 45 count package. Both have a price tag under $3 - in fact, I think just before Christmas I scored a package for just $2 on sale. I thought this was a pretty good value for my family. By the way, if you are collecting Box Tops for your child's school, they have one on the package!

Right now, if you visit the Hefty Basics Tableware page over on Facebook, you can help our environment! For every ten "likes" that Hefty gets on that page, they will plant a tree with the Arbor Day Foundation's help! They are hoping to plant 10,000 trees, and as of this posting, they still have a LONG ways to go with only 655 fans. If you're on Facebook too, I hope you'll take a moment to click "like". It's a quick way to help without costing you a single penny. (And this is cool - the cover letter that was sent with my "kit" is actually recycled paper with wildflower seeds in the paper! I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can plant it in my yard!)

Win it! Thanks to Hefty, two lucky winners will each win a coupon to try out a package of Hefty Basics Paper Plates for free! To enter, just tell us if you will be composting them after they are used, or will you be recycling them in your yard waste bin?

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR publicly following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway one time (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse) example:
Win Hefty Basics Plates http://goo.gl/fb/2YvHD end 2/5 @psychotichouse

That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends February 5th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

I received the product mentioned above in order to review and share my opinions of it. Two winners will receive the prize mentioned above, thanks to the giveaway sponsor.