As a representative category in the field of environmentally friendly tableware, the development of wheat-based tableware is not only a process of technological iteration but also a vivid microcosm of the gradual integration of green development concepts into industrial practice. In the 1990s, with the acceleration of my country’s agricultural modernization, wheat straw production increased significantly, but the problem of straw disposal became increasingly prominent. Incineration not only polluted the environment but also caused resource waste. Against this backdrop, wheat-based tableware quietly emerged as an exploratory direction for the resource utilization of straw. In the initial stage, the industry had low technological barriers, mainly relying on small-scale, family-run workshops for manual production. The production process was rudimentary, only capable of producing simple basic items such as plates and bowls. The products had poor strength and water resistance, and the output was less than 1,000 tons. Limited by technological levels and market awareness, these tableware items were only used in temporary settings such as agricultural festivals and field work. The market coverage was narrow, and public awareness of their environmental value and practicality was generally insufficient, and the industrialization of straw resource utilization had not truly begun.

Entering the 21st century, the global environmental protection wave rose, and domestic environmental awareness gradually awakened. The problem of white pollution caused by disposable plastic tableware received widespread attention, providing a significant opportunity for the development of the wheat-based tableware industry. At the same time, advancements in materials science and manufacturing technology injected crucial momentum into the industry’s acceleration. After 2010, core processes such as wheat straw crushing and refinement, high-temperature and high-pressure molding, and biodegradable coatings matured. This not only solved the pain points of insufficient strength, easy leakage, and poor temperature resistance of early products but also enabled the diversification of product categories. Products adapted to catering scenarios, such as lunch boxes, soup bowls, and straws, were successively introduced. Process upgrades drove rapid increases in output, reaching over 1 million tons in 2020, a more than thousandfold increase compared to the beginning of the century. Policy support became an “accelerator” for industry development. The national “plastic ban” clearly restricted the use of disposable non-biodegradable plastic tableware, and various regions introduced supporting policies, providing tax reductions and R&D subsidies to wheat-based tableware manufacturers. Against this backdrop, wheat-based tableware successfully became a mainstream alternative to disposable tableware, widely entering core scenarios such as dine-in restaurants, food delivery, and chain fast food, and market acceptance increased significantly.

Today, the wheat straw tableware industry has entered a mature stage of development characterized by large-scale production, standardization, and internationalization. The industry ecosystem is continuously improving, forming a closed-loop collection and processing model of “cooperative + farmers + enterprises.” Cooperatives lead the integration of farmers’ straw resources, while enterprises provide technical guidance and recycling guarantees. This solves the “last mile” problem of straw recycling and provides farmers with an additional source of income. In the main wheat-producing areas alone, this has benefited over 100,000 farming households. Production is fully automated, and some leading enterprises have established a complete quality control system from raw material testing and process processing to finished product inspection. Products have obtained international food safety certifications and are exported to 17 countries and regions worldwide. The market size continues to expand; according to industry data, the global wheat straw tableware market is projected to reach US$86.5 million by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 14.9% over the next ten years. Furthermore, the industry is continuously exploring high-value-added development paths, achieving breakthroughs in cutting-edge areas such as straw fiber modification and the development of biodegradable composite materials, extending products to high-end catering and gift packaging. From a neglected agricultural waste product to a core component driving a multi-billion dollar environmental market, the development of wheat straw tableware has not only achieved a win-win situation of ecological and economic benefits but also provided a replicable industrial model for the resource utilization of agricultural waste.