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.

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.

304 or [18/8] is a grading of stainless steel and is used for many applications because of its high corrosion resistance and strength. But what exactly makes 304 food grade stainless steel so good? 

• Great for serving food: It meets strict requirements and this material can't harbor any bacterial growth. 
• Durability: The 304 grading of the steel ensures that the steel is contains at least 8% nickel which gives the material it's strength and 18% chromium which gives the material it's corrosion resistance 
• Safety: 304 food grade stainless steel has been thoroughly tested and certified to contain no harmful toxins or heavy metals such as lead.

Yes! Our products can be cleaned in commercial dishwashing machines. 

We recommend the following when caring for your products:

• Using eco-friendly or natural detergents that are bleach-free and phosphate-free, with enzymatic cleaners like protease or amylase, sodium citrate, or baking soda. 
• Using a hard water booster, if you have hard water.
• Using a drying agent and/or racking system to ensure items dry thoroughly
• Ensuring proper rinsing by arranging dishware with adequate spacing to avoid detergent residue accumulation. 
• Avoiding harsh detergents with strong alkaline bleaching agents (e.g., chlorine-based or oxygen-based bleaches) or citric acids.
• Avoiding soaking products for more than 1 hour. 
• Avoid using abrasive cleaning tools like steel wool or coarse scrubbing pads.

Our products are designed in the USA and made in India. Our products are tested in a US Consumer Product Safety Council (CPSC)-certified lab.

No. Our steel is durable, so it won’t break or shatter with high volume use.

Just like ceramic, glass and plastic, stainless steel has potential to scratch when used for dining. Stainless steel is non-porous, unbreakable and inert - making it a great choice of material for your cafeteria to prevent bacterial growth, broken dishes and leached chemicals.

We can provide you with a shipping quote. Please email hi@ahimsaschools.com and share more details about the shipping address, quantity of products you are looking to ship, and if you have a loading dock.

We are now shipping throughout the United States. If you're outside of the United States and interested in purchasing Ahimsa products - please email hi@ahimsaschools.com. We would love for you to join the Ahimsa family and can assist you with an order. It is our hope to soon ship Ahimsa® products throughout the world! We are working on it!

All orders ship from Indianapolis, Indiana.

We can accommodate orders quickly. For high volume orders we prefer 12 weeks lead time.