The outside of this fragile bowl or plate would be made of thin slats of compressed, loosely bound fiber. When wet the fiber would absorb water and then fall apart. But it would have a thin wax coating on the outside and inside to keep it from failing before and during use. (It falls apart slowly enough that a few scratches and punctures aren't enough to destroy it.) The instructions are to put a stopper in the sink, break the dish in half, and soak in cold water for half an hour. Then remove the stopper and turn on your garbage disposal.-- Voice, Jul 04 2022 Aren't these compostable, biodegradable items WKTE?-- whatrock, Jul 04 2022 // Aren't these compostable, biodegradable items WKTE?//If by "these" you mean a plate and a bowl that act as described, no. They don't exist and are not known to exist. There are items you can throw in a compost heap (if you have one) or in your bin or bury in your garden without worrying about them (due to their several-day-long decomposition cycle), but this item is different from those. This item can be put straight down the disposal without worrying about your plumbing.-- Voice, Jul 04 2022 Sounds like it's made from plasterboard with a grease-proof- paper outer layer.-- neutrinos_shadow, Jul 04 2022 It's made from compressed toilet paper with a grease-proof wax outer layer.-- Voice, Jul 04 2022 Or a breadbowl that you can just eat.-- RayfordSteele, Jul 05 2022 random, halfbakery