BENGALURU: Ban on plastic has finally convinced people to use alternatives. Eco-enthusiasts and entrepreneurs are hard at work to manufacture eco-friendly products.
Caught in this new wave, biodegradable cutlery is finding buyers now. Areca and bagasse cutlery are the most popular with rice-husk products as a new favourite. With the ability to be reused and microwaved, these BPA (Bisphenol A) free products contain nothing toxic and can be made to suit the clients preferences.
Bengaluru-based Save Globe, currently trading online manufactures, BIO Plastics (PLA), wooden cutlery, rice husk and bagasse products, areca and coconut-coir products along with cloth bags. Edible cutlery is a new range of products they are experimenting with. “The core ingredients for the edible spoons are wheat flour, water and cornstarch. They are baked and flavour can be changed on requirement. Currently we manufacture edible spoons at `2.5 to `3 on a small scale. We will soon be expanding the edible cutlery range,” said Suhasan Reddy, co-founder of Save Globe.
The company, started by Suhas and his wife Harika, has over 15 domestic and international clients.
Their reusable rice husk products are priced between Rs 400 and Rs 1,000. They are microwavable up to three minutes or 120 degree celcius. The products also start degrading in 60 days, said the eco-enthusiast. They are available in supermarkets such as The Village, Nature’s Basket and MK Retail.
Green Nature, Bakeys and Earthware Products are few other companies that manufacture edible cutlery.
Shravan, an employee at Tesco, purchased a rice husk sipper for his daughter from Save Globe(manufacturer of bio-degradable products). “The product is totally harmless, safe and durable. They are also very reliable. My daughter has been using the sipper for over a month now. When you are using such products, one must not think the slightly higher price you have to pay,” he says.
Logically, biodegradable alternatives should have it easy in the market. They are easy on the conscience and everybody wants to go green. But, the industry often faces questions about their credibility -- on sustainability, composting quality and reusing disadvantages.
For example, BIO Plastics (PLA products) — made from agricultural byproducts and used plastics — have received a lot of criticism because they look very much like ordinary plastic. But — manufactured from cornstarch — they are degradable and do not need composting.