More and more companies are offering edible packaging for their products. From seaweed papers to even starch bars encasing various foods, it’s definitely a new solution, one that contributes to zero waste. There are tons of different materials, including seaweed, apple skins, and the like, and a lot of people are turning to this for their consumption needs. Here, we’re going to explore edible packaging, and how it builds onto the zero waste future you wish to have.
Can Edible Packaging Create Zero Waste?
Yes, it can. Most of the time the wrappers and containers that house the items you eat end up polluting your ocean. Some of the most common ones are wrappers, cutlery, and straws. That’s why edible packaging has started to offer a unique bit of hype.
Plastic is cheap, versatile, and light, but the thing is, it does destroy our ecosystem. Edible wrappers are something people don’t want to eat, because the idea of chasing your burger with the wrapper is not completely palatable.
That’s why context matters, and in the correct context, yes edible packaging may deter you from plastic. Resources that are renewable, and even if it’s not something a person would want to eat, it can be hyper degradable, so it will disappear faster than single-use plastics too.
Already Present In Nature
Did you know that there are already edible packaging options to consider. Grapes and apples are two common ones, as their skins will protect the fruits from the environment and microbes.
There are also edible packaging options that have been around for a while. Sausage that’s made from cellulose and collagen, and even ice cream cones too. Some places in Asia also use bowls and plates that are made directly from banana leaves that they feed to cows.
Bioplastics like cornstarch and sugarcane do offer more eco friendly and renewable alternatives. Some people might not like this, but even if they don’t, they’re easy to compost and push away.
However, plastic such as polystyrene and polyethylene do offer the convenience of a better shelf life that’s extended. They prevent germs, keep your potatoes fresh, and also protect various fruits and veggies that get shipped, and even will quintuple the shelf life of certain vegetables.
These days., people have to look at different processes and wrappings that they can use. Seaweed has become one of the most popular, because it offers unique ions such as calcium. Some restaurants are even using sachets that are made from different bioplastics and seaweed too.
Problems with Edible Packaging
So while yes, edible packaging is quite popular, and contributes to no waste, it’s not for everyone. Rice candy is a good example of edible packaging, because people like to put the candy and paper in their mouths.
But that rice paper does have plastic or a wax paper over this, which does show the problem with edible packaging.
You need to protect this from contaminants and germs, all of which may make having these items worthless.
There is also the concern of eating these items, especially if they throw them away. you can make these easier for one to swallow (both literally and theoretically) by offering packaging that’s high in vitamins, fiber, minerals, and the like, adding an extra level of pleasure that can be added to this.
Right now, it’s a type of packaging that is still being explored, but hopefully with time, we’re able to slowly accept the different aspects of edible packaging that are here, and also swallow them no matter what they might be.
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