Worldwide, the production of plastic totalled at an estimated 335 million metric tons in 2016. Plastics are used in a wide variety of products, most notably, one use plastic utensils where 40 billion plastic utensils are used just within the United States every year. Worldwide, the figure is at 16 times that of the US.
While on a flight, Narayana Peesapaty, a former researcher at ICRISAT, witnessed a thin cracker called Khakara being used to eat food and was inspired to create an alternative to plastic utensils in the form of edible cutlery called Bakeys.
The ingredients that comprise Bakeys are sorghum flour, rice flour, and wheat flour. With the simple ingredients that lack water, moisture and fat, the cutlery is able to have a prolonged shelf life without the need for any preservatives. The cutlery is also said to be able to withstand degradation from liquids due to its high concentration of sorghum, a crop that is abundantly grown and requires very little energy for cultivation.
“Change is inevitable. Before this change can overtake and overwhelm us, we should be the instruments of change,” said Narayana Peesapaty.
With Bakeys being 100% vegan, preservative free, trans-fat-free, and dairy free, the edible cutlery can be enjoyed by all. If not eaten, the cutlery is reported to degrade within 10 days and or simply be eaten by animals and insects.
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