Biodegradable dinnerware

Pop your potato and corn on a potato and corn plate

As picnic and cookout time gets under way, look out for guilt-free disposable dinnerware.

One example: EarthShell biodegradable dinnerware made from potatoes, corn and limestone, all natural, renewable sources, is now available nationally from major stores such as WalMart and Target.

EarthShell’s 8 7/8-inch plates and 12-ounce bowls come in plain white and that’s natural, too, said Bob Pondo, vice president of Renewable Products Inc., the product’s manufacturer. “EarthShell contains no bleach, it’s naturally the color of those starches and the limestone. They give it an eggshell, off-white look.”

He said the mix of ingredients in the product is 70 percent corn and potato starch to 30 percent limestone, making it a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastic and foam as well as tree-based paper disposable dinnerware.

You can microwave this heat-, moisture- and cut-resistant dinnerware, and a serving of hot soup won’t make it soggy, but don’t use it for the oven, grill or dishwasher.

When it’s used and ready to toss, it’s best to add it to a compost heap, Pondo said, although if it gets overlooked in a grassy environment or dropped in the sea by mistake it will still biodegrade.

Even if it ends up in landfill, an environmentally dead situation where nothing degrades, EarthShell shrivels to take up 70 percent less space than paper, plastic or foam equivalents, Pondo said.

A package of 25 plates or 30 bowls retails for $2.50 to $2.99.

Homes becoming more humble?

Finally, homes may be getting smaller.

That’s one of the findings from the latest Design Trends Survey by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). This survey focuses on overall home layout and use in the first quarter of 2007, and compares trends with survey results seen in 2006.

“This is the first time in three years that respondents said homes were decreasing rather than increasing in size,” said AIA chief economist Kermit Baker, in a phone interview from his Boston office. In the survey, more residential architects report home sizes to be decreasing (26 percent) than report them to be increasing (21 percent).

It appears that households are putting less focus on the amount of space in their homes and more focus on how that space is being used. According to the survey, many households are finding that improved use of existing space in their homes reduces the need for additional square footage.

When they’re asked, baby boomers mostly say they don’t want to move, and the remodeling people are doing is among evidence of their long-term planning to stay in their homes, Baker said.

The strongest trend is homeowners’ desire for accessibility, the survey shows. This is probably due to baby boomers’ being interested in making homes more accessible to themselves as they grow older, or as they care for parents, Baker said. Accessibility generally means wider hallways, fewer steps and single-floor design.

Seventy-four percent of the 500 architects who took part reported clients’ interest in greater accessibility. In second and third places, 63 percent noted a focus on outdoor living space, and on informal space.

“Accessibility is enhanced when there’s more flexibility in a home’s space,” Baker said.

Another point Baker brought up: Households are making the most of their property. “Lots are smaller, land prices are increasing, and there’s much more interest in outdoor living.” To make full use of their outdoor space, design trends architects are seeing include landscaping, fireplaces, courtyards, gazebos and swimming pools, he said.

The complete survey is posted on the AIA Web site:

www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek07/0504/0504b—res.cfm

Indian cushion covers

Ikea is offering vibrant hand-embroidered cushions made by women in the Uttar Pradesh district of India as part of a program with UNICEF to give impoverished women work and social support.

Conditions of employment include that the women belong to self-help groups and work toward getting the children in their villages to attend school. The income-generating program began in 2005, an Ikea spokeswoman said, and currently employs more than 2,000 women.

Ikea has supported UNICEF for about 10 years, the company says, and since 2000 has financed a Child Rights Project in northern India that aims to prevent the use of child labor in local carpet making.

The 20-by-20-inch wool cushion covers (product name PS Grindtorp), come in four color combinations, fasten with two wooden buttons and are priced at $14.99 at Ikea stores nationwide. See if your local outlet sells them by checking   www.ikea-usa.com

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FIX-IT: A dry-spray to oil and waterproof

Jig-a-Loo, a Canadian spray-on product now on sale in the U.S., is designed for multiple uses around the home, yard and office. It works as both lubricant and water- and stain-repellent, and claims to do a wide range of jobs, from freeing up sticking windows and curing squeaky hinges to waterproofing outdoor furniture and protecting garden tools from rust.

It goes on dry, and the manufacturer says it does not smell and will not stain.

A tester found it worked equally well oiling a bike chain and a squeaky gate, and waterproofing hiking shoes.

Jig-A-Loo is priced at $6.99 for a 10.9-ounce can, and is sold at The Home Depot, Wal-Mart and other stores nationwide.

Web site:

http://www.jigaloo.com