Process
The fallen leaves will be collected and will be dried in hot sun for two days. Then depending on the quality it will be sorted out for making Dryleaf plates. The sorted leaves once again checked for the quality (moulds/fungus/dark stains) and will be cleaned with water to remove dust or sand for few minutes. Then the cleaned leaves will be spread on a clean floor to drain the water and covered with jute bags to retain moisture for 20 minutes.
After partial drying, the leaves will be kept under a die of suitable shape and the die is heated with a coil to up to 150 degree centigrade. The leaf will be pressed with the die for 1 minute and removed. The leaf will get the required shape. Depending on the leaf size and the size of the plate two or three plates will be made from a single sheath of leaf. Also if the leaf has more length, then it will be kept separate as small bowls will be made in the same sheath.
No part of the leaf will be wasted. The heat pressed plates will be removed and checked again for its final quality. During this process, the edges may break or abrasions may come in the back side, such plated will be removed. The edged of the quality plates will be wiped with sand paper to make it smooth. Then the plates will be cleaned with a scrubber to remove the leaf particles and once again sanitizes to make it suitable for ready usage.
