Emirati mother's biodegradable cutlery business Palmable - in pictures

  • Emirati entrepreneur Lamis Al Hashimy is on a mission to stop the use of single-use plastic and has built a business centred around biodegradable product made with discarded leaves of date palm trees. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
    Emirati entrepreneur Lamis Al Hashimy is on a mission to stop the use of single-use plastic and has built a business centred around biodegradable product made with discarded leaves of date palm trees. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Ms Al Hashimy’s company, Palmade, has a factory in Dubai Investment Park that makes more than 70,000 pieces of cutlery every day, compared with 10,000 units every two weeks when the business was launched a few years ago
    Ms Al Hashimy’s company, Palmade, has a factory in Dubai Investment Park that makes more than 70,000 pieces of cutlery every day, compared with 10,000 units every two weeks when the business was launched a few years ago
  • Date palm leaves that are trimmed and would have been thrown away or burnt are used to make the disposable products to replace single-use plastics
    Date palm leaves that are trimmed and would have been thrown away or burnt are used to make the disposable products to replace single-use plastics
  • The date palm leaves are ground, converted into pellets and moulded
    The date palm leaves are ground, converted into pellets and moulded
  • The disposable cutlery is being used by hotels, food trucks and other businesses in the UAE and overseas
    The disposable cutlery is being used by hotels, food trucks and other businesses in the UAE and overseas
  • The spoons, forks, knives and coffee stirrers look and feel like plastic but are eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable
    The spoons, forks, knives and coffee stirrers look and feel like plastic but are eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable
  • The aim is to develop more products from discarded date palm leaves creating value out of waste
    The aim is to develop more products from discarded date palm leaves creating value out of waste
  • Palmade will soon add straws to its disposable collection
    Palmade will soon add straws to its disposable collection
  • Cartons with the tag: ‘Palmade - proudly made in the UAE with leaves from our date palm trees’
    Cartons with the tag: ‘Palmade - proudly made in the UAE with leaves from our date palm trees’