Sharp rise in demand for wooden cutlery after plastic ban: Report

Wooden cutlery manufacturers are getting 25% more orders

With the ban on single-use plastic items kicking in, demand for wooden cutlery items such as trays, stirrers and plates is on the rise. Wooden cutlery manufacturers in areas of Moradabad, Saharanpur, Delhi and Kolkata, told The Economic Times that they were getting 25% more orders as compared to the orders they received a few months ago.

The country’s plastic ban puts an end to the use of items such as plastic earbuds, forks, spoons, straws, trays, wrapping or packing films on candy and cigarette packs, and PVC banners less than 100 microns.

"Some of the buyers had started purchasing beforehand to be ready with the stock. But now there are lots of queries coming in," Humza Khan, owner of Moradabad-based Indian Crafts Inc told ET. "The demand is more from South India. Wooden plates and forks are in great demand," he added.

ET reports that JustDial’s March-May consumer insight report revealed a jump of 35% in searches for wood and bamboo dealers.

"Sustainability is at the core of businesses now and is bringing changes across the funnel. This has led to a spike in demand for wood and bamboo dealers as manufacturers look for sustainable alternatives for single-use plastics to comply with government regulations. Searches for wood and bamboo dealers in Tier-I cities were up by 22% and in Tier-II by 29%," Chief marketing officer of JustDial, Prasun Kumar said.

"Wooden trays, spoons, forks, and plates are in great demand. The demand is coming from hotels, restaurants and families," said Mohammed Yusuf, owner of Saharanpur-based Begum Arts adding that he was receiving queries from Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai-based customers. Of the top cities, Mumbai and Delhi had the largest demand for wooden spoons.