Edible Spoons Change the Game to Address Plastic Pollution Problem

What if you could eat your cutlery after you were finished with your meal?

One man from India has created the ultimate disposable spoon, helping to solve the country’s – and the world’s – growing plastic pollution problem, while giving a whole new meaning to the phrase, “Clear your plate.”

Narayana Peesapaty has invented Edible Cutlery: The Future of Eco Friendly Utensils. Edible Cutlery are spoons made out of millet, rice, and wheat flour. Peesapaty, a researcher and agriculture consultant from Hyderbad, India, started selling his product back in 2010. After selling around 1.5 million edible spoons, Peesapaty wants to share his product with the world, hoping to help reduce the world’s plastic pollution.

In order to expand his project, Peesapaty knew he had to cut the cost of his spoon in order to compete with the plastic counterparts. The innovator began a Kickstarter campaign with a goal to raise $20,000. However, to Peesapaty’s surprise, the campaign has already beat the original goal and raised over $90,000.

The edible spoon can last up to 20 minutes in hot liquid and comes in eight different flavors: Sugar, ginger-cinnamon, ginger-garlic, cumin, celery, black pepper, mint-ginger and carrot-beetroot. Once made, the spoons have a shelf life of about two to three years.

“You can eat it up. If you don’t want to eat it, you can throw it. It decomposes within four to five days,” explained Peesapaty in his promotional video (see below).

With production in the works, Peesapaty will be able to produce around 800,000 spoons per day. The facility also plans to develop other utensils in the coming months.

“Our ambitions stretch far beyond the realm of edible spoons. Currently, we have molds to produce chopsticks, dessert spoons, and forks,” Peesapaty shared on Kickstarter. “Our plan is to expand into cups, plates, and many more traditional disposable tableware. Our goal is to create and expand into a whole new line.”

Peesapaty is hoping for global distribution with a goal to “motivate farmers to produce more millet and less water-hungry rice,” shared Mashable.

“Plastic is very cheap, true. But I can make it as cheap,” Peesapaty explained. “I can with volumes, and once I get the volumes, I [can go to] the farmers directly and start procuring raw material directly from the farmers, in which case my spoons will be as cheap as the plastic spoons.”

Check out more about Peesapaty and his Edible Cutlery below.