Sourcing
At Conservia, we use a community-based model to source raw materials for Ecodyne Tableware. There are three ways in which we source the areca palm trees.
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The farmers collect the leaves shed by the palm tree between October to May, and Conservia procures it from their doorstep.
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Conservia’s maximum raw material contribution comes from 4 districts of Karnataka. We undertake bulk auctions and buy out the leaves from the entire village. We then transport the leaves to our manufacturing centers.
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The farmers collect and drop the leaf to the nearest of the 30 collection centers we have in the hinterland of Karnataka or to the manufacturing center.
With the help of our community of farmers, we keep a stock of 30 million premium quality leaves in 90 Conservia and micropreneur community sites. This stock is paramount for an uninterrupted outflow of supply to our customers.
Hydro-Pressure Cleaning & Sterilizing
The collected areca palm leaves go through a thorough cleaning process. We wash the leaves with high water pressure and make sure they are free of sand and grit particles. We dry the leaves for 7 hours before being pressed in an advanced hydraulic heavy-duty machine. We use CNC dyes to give the leaves a desired shape, and during this process, the palm leaf goes through 200 degrees Celsius of heat that sterilizes the tablewares.
Edging & UV Treatment
After the hydro pressure cleaning, we sort the tableware, and the quality inspection team removes products with defects. The meticulously selected plates are nosed with a nosing machine to give them a smooth and clean edge. A high-pressure air cleaning follows this step. This step eliminates dust particles that may have formed on the tableware during the nosing process. As an added measure of safety, Ecodyne Tableware undergoes UV sterilization to get elegantly hygienic tablewares.
As India’s largest manufacturers and exporters of disposable areca leaf tableware, we have set international quality standards. Our manufacturing process complies with the hygiene norms laid out by the USA and Europe. Ecodyne Tableware is 100% chemical and additive-free, and the carbon footprint left by the entire manufacturing process is insignificant compared to the alternatives available in the market.
The Packing Process
Conservia follows a standard packing process that is tailor-made for bulk consumption. We use a 5 ply food-grade corrugated box that holds 4 units of 25 shrink-wrapped pieces using 19-micron poly-olefin. In total, each carton has 100 tableware pieces. We paste a multicolored sticker on the 25 pieces shrink-wrap while a customized marking as per customer specification is stuck on the corrugated carton.
We also offer Ecodyne Tableware for retail consumption for individuals and homeowners. Our standard retail packing has 10 pieces of shrink-wrapped tailor-made packing customization specific to your company’s brand identity on order and at a pre-discussed cost.
Quality Assurance Process & Testings
At Conservia, we monitor the quality of Ecodyne Tableware from the sourcing to the packing of the products. We deliver only those products that pass our stringent quality management systems.
We have a 7 stage quality assurance process:
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Leaf Selection - We only choose premium quality and good condition leaves for Ecodyne Tableware.
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Washing - We use hydro pressure to clean the leaves of any sand and grit particles.
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Before feeding - After the cleaning, our team rechecks the leaves and removes faulty ones.
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After pressing - Ecodyne Tableware is sterilized at 200 degrees Celsius. We remove any defective pieces at this stage.
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Edging and trimming - We check the products for any deformities or raw edges after the edging and trimming process.
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Scrubbing and UV radiation - Once the product is ready, we scrub clean each piece one last time and sterilize them on a UV radiation conveyor belt.
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Pre-packing and delivering - Before the final packing, our team once again goes through each product to ensure they are fit for use by the end consumer.
Conservia carries out various quality testings every few months to ensure our products are fit for use by the end consumer. We assess the quality of our products and make sure that the food served in Ecodyne Tableware is unharmed.
Anaerobic Plate Count - APC35C
This test ensures that our products are free from fungi, coli, yeast, mold, and other bacterias and viruses. Ecodyne Tableware has passed the test, and the results show that our products are free of microorganisms and safe for food consumption.
Presence of Heavy Metals Testing
We carry out this test to ensure our products have no metals like iron, lead, copper, zinc, and aluminum phosphide.
Ecodyne Tableware does not have traces of heavy metals and is safe enough to serve food.
Sensory & Migration Test
Ecodyne goes through a sensory and migration test to ensure the products do not react with the food served in them. The results show that our products have passed the test and are suitable for both dry and liquid food. We have also passed the EC No. 1935/2004.