Spring is here and for many New Englanders, that means it's finally time to fire up the barbecue or head outside for the first picnic of the season. And this year, diners who prefer to eat alfresco can do so without feeling guilty about using disposable plates and tableware that will languish in a landfill for years. Instead, thanks to Market Basket, they can choose to use a new line of eco-friendly disposable tableware from StalkMarket.

StalkMarket plates and bowls are now available in all 59 Market Basket stores throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Both of these products are made from a sugarcane fiber-based paperboard called bagasse. Sugarcane is a renewable resource that can be grown and harvested in a matter of months, making it a much more sustainable alternative to products made of wood pulp.

In addition, StalkMarket products are 100 percent biodegradable and compostable. Sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of knives, forks, liquids and grease while in use, they can be disposed of in a home composter or even be torn up and buried in a flower bed or garden heap where they will normally break down in to a rich soil in a matter of weeks. By comparison, paper disposables, which are normally coated with oil-based plastics, can take years or decades to break down while similar items made of plastic or Styrofoam can take centuries.