Is Plastic Edible?

Plastic waste pollutes oceans, land and air, harming wildlife, disrupting ecosystems and entering food chains as toxic microplastics. Its production and disposal contribute to climate change, biodiversity loss, and long-term environmental damage.

"What if your plastic left no trace? It’s possible with biodegradable!"

We know that Plastic materials are petrochemical derivatives which are basically synthetic polymers. These materials adversely affect both land as well as the marine life due to its non biodegradable properties.

But what if it becomes edible?

Is this possible??

In 2012, David Edwards a Harvard professor and engineer invented a sustainable alternative to the traditional synthetic plastics known as edible plastics. These are made from plant-based natural sources like seaweed, starch, gelatin and casein (a milk protein) which are not only biodegradable but also help in reducing potential environmental threats.

At present, a variety of the plastic alternatives are available in the market:

Edible straws: An excellent alternative to plastic and paper straws mostly made from starch and sugar.

Edible cups: These are made up of cookies and biscuits however they don’t affect the taste of the liquid inside it. They can even withstand slightly high temperature without transferring the heat outside.

Edible spoons: These are made from pulses of cereals like wheat, rice and grams. These are strong and don’t break out easily.

Ooho: Designed by Notpala, these are edible water bubbles serving as an alternative to plastic water bottles. They are usually made from seaweed and calcium chloride and can be consumed easily.

According to me some benefits of edible plastic is that it reduces environmental burden caused due to excessive use of synthetic plastic materials, tons of waste remain undecomposed, taking a long period of time to break down and ultimately affecting the environment.

However replacing them with edible plastic will help to prevent further damages.

Biodegradable materials are derived from plant based materials and biopolymers, they can be easily grown, harvested, produced, and processed. Since these are produced using renewable and biodegradable sources, the associated carbon emission is comparatively low to synthetic plastics which heavily contribute to release of greenhouse gases. However, despite these benefits, challenges do exist like High production cost in manufacturing can be expensive for the respective companies affecting their overall budget.

Environmental factors like temperature, climate and moisture can highly affect the products since they are made from plants or plant-based derivatives. Some consumers may be hesitant to use certain substances, such as gelatin(which included animal fat) or seaweed(which have a fishy smell) as packing materials.

Currently, with the increase of awareness against plastic pollution, the edible plastic market have reached a budget of nearly $900 million which is predicted to grow to $1.5B by 2030 on a global scale.

Many companies are working on improving raw packaging materials to enhance shelf life, functionality and availability of a wide range of options for consumers to choose from, attracting a broader audience. The edible plastic industry aims to develop and expand further in the future by providing better and reliable alternatives as well as being effective to be used over a wide range of products.

In a nutshell, edible plastic offers a promising, sustainable replacement for the conventional plastic and is expected to gain more customer support in the future.

Will you all join me in this journey to save the world ?

Do let me know your thoughts !

References:

1. Edible Packaging: A Novel & Sustainable Packaging Alternative

2. Consumer First Insights

3. Edible Packaging Global Market Report 2025, with Key Player Profiles for Amcor, Devro, Evoware, Ingredion, JRF Technology, MonoSol, Nagase & Co., Notpla, Tate & Lyle, Tipa, Watson & WikiCell Designs