![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JT5OZHDCY5A4FCCKNCK44EWIMM.jpg?smart=true&auth=8bcac1f9e3280d9b659a3ac4d50cbbfc14aee366aca0ebafdc2da1133065b07a&width=400&height=225)
Cartons with the tag: ‘Palmade - proudly made in the UAE with leaves from our date palm trees’
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YZO2IXAN4NCIZLEPINI5RSM5H4.jpg?smart=true&auth=3bc6269b8cf14ff0533a96847c8fc385df5ef6e9fec52d32b8803f1643729949&width=400&height=225)
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
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/V5F6UOWORBBRFBSTXBMXT3OP7Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=3a73c35c78ec4b28149ca211b3f40375ad06fefcb0078c0ed2401cd773e9a83e&width=400&height=225)
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
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MZZKVWSBZNG5VNFL4UEHVUNXZY.jpg?smart=true&auth=71a7f1d6c6fa190c06bfaf5e1503d884ba9e6de56c6bc6fcd9f639b10ddd1745&width=400&height=225)
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
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TLMJ7DCUJBDYDOJ3L7JX3MKXGQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=774d56c5116b03d6a209320b61cfb49cc4566b1ee92fcc3cd36aa907ce1670cc&width=400&height=225)
The date palm leaves are ground, converted into pellets and moulded
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4SCQE4HOMZCJJHPRQHN34WXNGA.jpg?smart=true&auth=b4f894b2b9af7ec775eaff0ceaad49ed721aeb7daf1093c0e39a8c4641b66be8&width=400&height=225)
The disposable cutlery is being used by hotels, food trucks and other businesses in the UAE and overseas
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EDVJX6KPQJBN5FLIONFNGR4CP4.jpg?smart=true&auth=a6b51ab0c3e2e64976479ad7231eb5537f42330494c41611426cb9a415b3b307&width=400&height=225)
The spoons, forks, knives and coffee stirrers look and feel like plastic but are eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TETUN6JFVRF2HEHBDT4CMVTQMQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=1118c799e6931b9ffe7ac133ba8ceea45ba99d33e62ba41865617ccbe8156140&width=400&height=225)
The aim is to develop more products from discarded date palm leaves creating value out of waste
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5I3X743VTVFS7BVVAYVFXKQFXU.jpg?smart=true&auth=18e2889ea03cf2500754353c60b3865e1340c178163c8142edf606847146bbfb&width=400&height=225)
Palmade will soon add straws to its disposable collection
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JT5OZHDCY5A4FCCKNCK44EWIMM.jpg?smart=true&auth=8bcac1f9e3280d9b659a3ac4d50cbbfc14aee366aca0ebafdc2da1133065b07a&width=400&height=225)
Cartons with the tag: ‘Palmade - proudly made in the UAE with leaves from our date palm trees’
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YZO2IXAN4NCIZLEPINI5RSM5H4.jpg?smart=true&auth=3bc6269b8cf14ff0533a96847c8fc385df5ef6e9fec52d32b8803f1643729949&width=400&height=225)
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
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/V5F6UOWORBBRFBSTXBMXT3OP7Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=3a73c35c78ec4b28149ca211b3f40375ad06fefcb0078c0ed2401cd773e9a83e&width=400&height=225)
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
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/MZZKVWSBZNG5VNFL4UEHVUNXZY.jpg?smart=true&auth=71a7f1d6c6fa190c06bfaf5e1503d884ba9e6de56c6bc6fcd9f639b10ddd1745&width=400&height=225)
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
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TLMJ7DCUJBDYDOJ3L7JX3MKXGQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=774d56c5116b03d6a209320b61cfb49cc4566b1ee92fcc3cd36aa907ce1670cc&width=400&height=225)
The date palm leaves are ground, converted into pellets and moulded
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4SCQE4HOMZCJJHPRQHN34WXNGA.jpg?smart=true&auth=b4f894b2b9af7ec775eaff0ceaad49ed721aeb7daf1093c0e39a8c4641b66be8&width=400&height=225)
The disposable cutlery is being used by hotels, food trucks and other businesses in the UAE and overseas
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EDVJX6KPQJBN5FLIONFNGR4CP4.jpg?smart=true&auth=a6b51ab0c3e2e64976479ad7231eb5537f42330494c41611426cb9a415b3b307&width=400&height=225)
The spoons, forks, knives and coffee stirrers look and feel like plastic but are eco-friendly, biodegradable and compostable
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TETUN6JFVRF2HEHBDT4CMVTQMQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=1118c799e6931b9ffe7ac133ba8ceea45ba99d33e62ba41865617ccbe8156140&width=400&height=225)
The aim is to develop more products from discarded date palm leaves creating value out of waste
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/5I3X743VTVFS7BVVAYVFXKQFXU.jpg?smart=true&auth=18e2889ea03cf2500754353c60b3865e1340c178163c8142edf606847146bbfb&width=400&height=225)
Palmade will soon add straws to its disposable collection
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JT5OZHDCY5A4FCCKNCK44EWIMM.jpg?smart=true&auth=8bcac1f9e3280d9b659a3ac4d50cbbfc14aee366aca0ebafdc2da1133065b07a&width=400&height=225)
Cartons with the tag: ‘Palmade - proudly made in the UAE with leaves from our date palm trees’
Emirati entrepreneur carves out green cutlery business using fallen date palm leaves
Lamis Al Hashimy’s start-up, Palmade, serves up a local eco-friendly solution to fight single-use plastic
![Ramola Talwar Badam](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F5ef0cfa3-a931-4bee-a429-a6e926cfab98.png?smart=true&auth=8bd0c965d9bb14cf66195518e8cc461c939674357be28fde76d5e3597d39b95d&width=70&height=70)
Ramola Talwar Badam
25 February, 2024
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