Bioplates Biodegradable Tableware by Alex Hell is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Silver A' Design Award in Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design Competition Category.
SilverSustainable Product· 2025
Bioplates Biodegradable Tableware
by Alex Hell
Client: Studioneves
Silver A' Design Award Winner in Sustainable Product Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #172846The Design
About Bioplates Biodegradable Tableware
Bioplates is a biodegradable and compostable tableware piece developed for professional hospitality. Made from a next-generation biopolymer with mineral reinforcement, it resists up to 140C and over 7000 industrial dishwasher cycles. Its textured surface helps to hide cutlery marks, while the engraved bottom shares an environmental message. Stackable, elegant, lightweight, and carbon negative, Bioplates offers a regenerative alternative to melamine and porcelain in luxury outdoor service, combining design and responsibility.
The Recognition
About the Silver A' Design Award
Bioplates Biodegradable Tableware is a Silver A' Design Award winner, an extraordinarily prestigious recognition granted to top-of-the-line, gorgeous, and impressive designs. Silver winners are tremendously brilliant and exceedingly creative works that illustrate the outstanding expertise, talent, and acuity of their designers. Bioplates Biodegradable Tableware is expected to be a wonderful, showpiece work that is remarkably professional and profoundly innovative. This Silver A' Design Award-winning design is a highly notable, admired invention that benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Bioplates Biodegradable Tableware is a vastly envied creation that evokes desires, introduces positive feelings, and sparks amazement and wonderment.
Where to Get It
Sustainable Tableware Solutions for Hospitality
We create award-winning sustainable tableware for leading restaurants and hotels worldwide. From our B-Corp certified atelier, we offer both innovative biodegradable plates and handcrafted ceramics, serving over 100 Michelin-starred establishments with eco-conscious solutions that elevate dining experiences.
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Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
To create a tableware piece that is not just biodegradable, but beautiful, durable, and scalable — replacing melamine and porcelain in outdoor hospitality without compromising experience or sustainability.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
To prove that sustainability can perform. We wanted to develop a product that would withstand real-world pressures — heat, cleaning, handling — and still decompose cleanly at the end of life.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
We plan to expand the Bioplates line into bowls, trays, and takeaway items, and scale its adoption across sustainable hotels globally.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Bioplates is a fully biodegradable and compostable tableware solution for professional use. Made from a certified next-gen biopolymer, it withstands 140C and over 7,000 industrial wash cycles, without leaving microplastics or toxic residue. Its textured surface hides wear, while engraved messages engage users. Durable, elegant and carbon-negative by design.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Dimensions: 215 mm diameter x 15 mm height. The plate features a slightly irregular rim for a handcrafted aesthetic. It is lightweight yet impact-resistant, suitable for industrial dishwashers and temperatures up to 140C. Packaging is made entirely from recycled, compostable paper, with no plastic components. Units are stacked with protective recycled paper sheets and shipped in low-volume boxes optimized for logistics and minimal waste.
- Tags
- biodegradable tableware, compostable plate, sustainable design, circular product, eco innovation, regenerative material, plastic alternative, hospitality tableware, carbon negative, eco friendly dishware
- Production Technology
- Bioplates are produced via precision injection molding using a proprietary biopolymer blend with patent pending, reinforced with natural minerals. Molds are stainless steel, optimized for uniform temperature (143C melt, 70C mold) and slow rotation. Texture and engravings are in-mold, minimizing post-processing. The material is TUV certified for biodegradation in soil, marine and compost environments.
- Design Challenge
- The greatest challenge was balancing biodegradability with professional durability. Most compostable materials are fragile or unsuitable for hospitality. We had to create a formula that resisted heat, impact, and repeated washing - without losing compostability. Legal compliance for food contact, limited industrial know-how, and the absence of references in circular tableware pushed us to prototype, test and refine through scientific and design-led collaboration.
- Research
- Material research focused on developing biodegradable, high-performance tableware. The objective was to replace melamine and porcelain in outdoor hospitality. We used lab testing, field trials and iterative design. Tools included mechanical stress tests, dishwasher simulation, and heat resistance analysis. Tests were conducted with the University of Aveiro and hotel partners. Results proved 140C tolerance and 7,000 wash cycles. Insights showed it is possible to unite durability, biodegradability, and elegance.
- Inspiration
- The project was born from a contradiction: eco-conscious hotels still use melamine or porcelain, which never biodegrade. As a B-Corp working with the world's top chefs, we felt the need for a truly circular solution. We researched biopolymers and partnered with university labs to develop a durable, fully compostable tableware fit for real hospitality use - elegant, regenerative and educational.
- Project Duration
- The project started in January 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, with early material research and design prototyping. Technical testing took place throughout 2024 in collaboration with the University of Aveiro. Final prototypes were completed in January 2025. Bioplates are currently being tested in real-world hospitality settings by a few selected hotels to gather qualified testimonials and performance feedback by the end of 2025.
- Operation Flow
- Bioplates are used like any standard dish but offer a better experience in both function and conscience. Their textured surface hides cutlery marks, keeping the plate elegant longer. They are lightweight, stackable, and safe for dishwashers and high temperatures. The engraved message on the back invites reflection, turning a simple meal into a moment of environmental awareness.
- Patents
- Patent Pending. Patent Application No. EP 25166012.2. Holder: SN PORTUGAL, LDA. Filed in 2025. Jurisdiction: European Patent Office. Title: "Biodegradable Tableware Item and Method for its Production."
- Team Members
- Project Lead: Alex Hell
Creative Director: Alex Hell
Production Development: Studioneves Team
Scientific Testing Partner: University of Aveiro and Sublime Hotel - Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Alex Hell (Creative Director) Studioneves, Bioplates – Front View with Broken Porcelain, 2025.
Image #2: Photographer Alex Hell (Creative Director) Studioneves, Bioplates – Top View with Textured Surface, 2025.
Image #3: Photographer Alex Hell (Creative Director) Studioneves, Bioplates – top view of contemporary model, 2025.
Image #4: Photographer Alex Hell (Creative Director) Studioneves, Bioplates – Detail of Engraving, 2025.
Image #5: Photographer Alex Hell (Creative Director) Studioneves, Bioplates – top view of classic model, 2025.
Video #1: Videomaker Henrique Casta, Bioplates Cicle, 2025
Video #2: Videomaker Henrique Casta, Bioplates Inspirational, 2025
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