Put Down the Plastic — Pick Up Stainless Steel (Stainless Steel vs Plastic For Kids)
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Time to Read: 7 min
Looking for creative ways to live more sustainably? We recommend starting small — maybe even at your own dinner table. The basic items we use every day, like plates and utensils, can make a significant impact on Mother Earth.
While plastic dishes are common for kids, they contribute to long-term waste. Stainless steel is a quick and durable swap that is healthier and better for our planet. Read on to learn more about easy ways to care for Earth with your kids — from dishes to dinner table discussions and beyond.
About Ahimsa
Founded by a pediatrician and mom of three
Stainless steel is the only kid-friendly material recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics
We are guided by a Scientific Advisory Council comprised of environmental and medical experts, guiding us in creating the safest products, following the latest science and promoting policy to protect human health and our planet
Want to know more? Check out our story and our products.
How Stainless Steel Dishes Can Help Your Family Become More Sustainable
Did you know that only about 9% of all the plastic waste generated worldwide is recovered for recycling? Most of the plastic we use and toss is left to lie in landfills. And around 22% ends up leaking into nature, harming or even leading to the deaths of precious wildlife.
When we compare these findings to recycled stainless steel, a different story is told. Approximately 95% of end-of-life stainless steel is collected and recycled into new products. An average stainless steel object is composed of about 60% recycled material. It’s one of the world’s most recycled materials—even more so than paper or glass!
One of the most plastic-heavy areas of modern homes is the kid-friendly kitchen, which is why we recommend starting with dishes when you’re ready to make the switch to stainless steel.
Three Tips for Teaching Children the Importance of a Healthy Earth
We only have one Earth, and it's our job as parents to protect it not only for our own children, but for the many generations of children yet to come.
The good news? Kids are naturally curious and deeply capable of understanding big ideas—even from a young age. By setting an example, having conversations, and working together, you and your little ones can team up to champion sustainability at home and beyond.
#1: Model sustainable practices in your home
Children learn from their surroundings. In every area of parenting, your daily habits speak louder than words—and sustainability is no exception.
Simple swaps like using reusable water bottles or having your kids help wash the food off your recyclables before tossing them in the bin will lead to lifelong lessons.
Using stainless steel dishes like the ones we design and manufacture at Ahimsa is a great example. They don’t break when they’re dropped, they’re easy to clean, and they last for a lifetime. Your subtle comments on these benefits will help your kids learn that choosing durable items reduces waste over time.
#2: Share kid-friendly facts at the dinner table
The dinner table is a perfect place for meaningful conversations. Along with talking about school, friends, and favorite foods, it’s also a great opportunity to introduce age-appropriate facts about the environment.
Here are a few solid statistics that not only make the topic more fun to discuss, but also provide visuals that help kids begin to understand the magnitude of our plastic pollution issue here on Earth:
About 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s. What else weighs this much? Approximately one billion elephants or 47 million blue whales!
Only about 9% of this plastic was recycled. 12% was burned. The rest (a disappointing 79%) is still sitting in either a landfill or the environment.
The equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic enters the ocean every minute.
Far too many animals have ingested plastic—up to 9/10 seabirds, 1/3 sea turtles, and 1/2 whales and dolphins.
Even crustaceans at the deepest point of the ocean, the Mariana Trench, have been found with plastic in their bodies.
Need more fun facts? Check out the rest of this engaging list, and follow it up with children’s books or magazines that mention sustainability (think The Lorax and similar titles).
#3: Pledge to be a planet protector (like Ahimsa!)
Looking for more unique ways to celebrate your sustainability progress? Click on the National Geographic KIDS VS PLASTIC certificate below for more ideas on reducing your plastic use. Your child can even pledge to be a “Planet Protector” and receive their very own Certificate of Heroism! Team Ahimsa earned ours by pledging to decrease our use of single-use plastics. So, go on... grab your superhero capes and join us. Together, we’ll learn to better care for our happy, healthy planet!
(https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/nature/kids-vs-plastic)
Alternatives to Plastic Dishware
Continue the Conversation With These Eco-Conscious Resources
For families who want to dive deeper, these trusted resources offer a good combination of eye-opening data and practical insights that you can trust:
GREENPEACE: Key Facts About Plastic Pollution — Read this statistic-filled guide to take in a clear breakdown of the global plastic crisis, its environmental impact, and the research that supports it.
UN News — Check out this resource if you want to learn just how alarming our ocean pollution levels have become—including the fact that there are substantially more microplastic particles in the sea than stars in the galaxy.
British Stainless Steel Association and The Steel Recycling Institute — These two highly-respected sites explain why we call stainless steel one of the most sustainable materials available today.
To learn more about stainless steel products and Ahimsa’s commitment to sustainability, visit our FAQs or explore our collections.
Let’s Take One Small Step Toward Sustainability at a Time
Remember: teaching kids to care for the environment doesn’t require perfection—just intention. When you make thoughtful choices together as a family, you’ll start to see the importance of your impact firsthand. By having conversations about sustainability and making small, justified swaps, you’ll not only help save the Earth, but light a spark for your child to do the same long after you’ve gone.
Together, through small but consistent choices and changes, we can create a more sustainable future for generations of families to come.
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician whose dedication to children’s health drove her to launch Ahimsa, the world's first colorful stainless steel dishes for kids. She was motivated by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ findings on harmful chemicals in plastic affecting children's well-being. Ahimsa has gained widespread recognition and been featured in media outlets such as Parents Magazine, the Today Show, The Oprah Magazine, and more.
Dr. Mantravadi received the esteemed “Physician Mentor of the Year” award at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2019. She was also named a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur in 2021, with her inspiring story showcased on Good Morning America. She serves on the Council for Environmental Health and Climate Change and the Council for School Health at The American Academy of Pediatrics. She represents Ahimsa as a U.S. industry stakeholder on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Global Plastics Treaty, led by the United Nations Environment Program. Dr. Mantravadi leads Ahimsa's social impact program, The Conscious Cafeteria Project, to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard student health as part of a national pilot of the Clinton Global Initiative.
She is dedicated to educating and empowering people to make healthier, more environmentally friendly choices at mealtime. Her mission remains to advocate for the health of all children and the one planet we will leave behind for them through real policy change within our food system.
More Steel Mealtime Essentials
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use stainless steel instead of plastic? Is stainless steel better for health?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a report in July 2018 suggesting ways that families can limit exposure to certain chemicals at mealtime, including “the use of alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, when possible.” The report explained that “…some additives are put directly in foods, while “indirect” additives may include chemicals from plastic, glues, dyes, paper, cardboard”. Further, “Children are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do, and are still growing and developing.” While stainless steel items meet the recommendation to avoid plastic products in children, Ahimsa® products have the obvious advantage of not breaking like glass.
Is stainless steel better for the environment than plastic?
According to the Steel Recycling Institute, steel can be recycled over and over and over again without losing its integrity and requires less energy to recycle than to make anew. Most plastic unfortunately ends up in landfills and it is estimated to take 700 years to decompose. Our special coloring process that allows Ahimsa® products to be fully metal is environmentally friendly, so it does not produce toxic run-off into the ecosystem.
Will Ahimsa products break or peel?
No. Our steel is durable, so it won’t break or shatter with everyday use, like glass. And it won’t peel, like other colored stainless steel products you’ve seen. We use a special process that allows the colors to naturally occur in the metal.
Which Ahimsa products are best for my little one(s)?
Our products are meant to last, you can use Ahimsa at ages 1, 8 and 18! We thoughtfully design our products to be safe for little ones and our planet while reducing consumption. Once your child outgrows the Starting Solids Set and can use regular cups and utensils, the training cup is the perfect size rinse cup in the bathroom, the infant spoon doubles as a tea stirrer and the bowl is great for snacks or as an additional compartment to our modular divided plate. Our plates are great for any age as they encourage choosing a variety of healthy foods at each meal and help visualize portion sizes easily. It’s the lasting beauty of stainless steel - grows with your child and reduces waste.
