Assam: Women turn entrepreneurs with areca palm waste dinnerware

Chaygaon: Converting waste sheaths of areca palm trees to dinner plates and other wares has become a ray of hope for women of two blocks in Assam’s Kamrup Rural district, as they engage in entrepreneurial ventures to become economically independent.

The biodegradable disposable dinnerware made of waste sheaths also addresses the concern of pollution caused by materials like styrofoam and plastic.

Villages under Chaygaon and Bangaon blocks of the district, 40 km from the state capital, are dotted with areca palm trees that were earlier considered to be a source only for Tamul’ (betel nut), while its sheath, a waste material, was at times used to make temporary boundary walls of homes.