The cost of a single spoon ranges from ₹3 to ₹6, depending on quantity and flavour.
One need not watch Sir David Attenborough’s Planet Earth II or read the recent issue of National Geographic magazine to comprehend the detrimental consequences of single-use plastics over the environment and how our collective indifference is only worsening the crisis.
The evidence is right in front of us—from streets and parks to forests and oceans.
The penetration of plastic waste has become so rampant that the sad fate of countless birds, animals, and marine beings after mistakenly ingesting plastic for food, might soon befall us, albeit in a different manner.
Plastic cutlery is one of the most common single-use plastics that is casually discarded and usually ends up in landfills or worse, water bodies.
However, alternatives like metal and biodegradable cutlery are slowing coming to the fore, with individuals and organisations vehemently promoting these products to reduce the damage we have caused to the environment.
The recent innovation of edible cutlery—which can be consumed after finishing one’s meal—has come as a relief to many of us, and one young man from Gujarat has not only found a way to reduce our plastic burden through edible spoons, but apparently, these can be relished in eight amazing flavours!
24-year-old Kruvil Patel is a Vadodara-based engineer, whose interest in edible cutlery soon gave birth to Trishula, an entrepreneurial venture of his own.
“While I was in college pursuing engineering, I heard about how edible cutlery is replacing single-use plastic products, which are a threat. I ordered a couple of edible spoons from Hyderabad. Upon receiving my order, I realised that they don’t resemble regular spoons, and the quality and taste was not appealing. That is when I hit upon the idea of making edible spoons that were good to taste,” said Kruvil to NDTV.
Shortly after finishing college, Kruvil discussed the idea with his family. They wanted him to join the family business and didn’t quite support his vision of making edible cutlery, but the young man was insistent, and following months of intensive research and practical demonstrations, Trishula took flight in November last year.
Giving one the opportunity to choose among eight unique flavours including beetroot, spinach, chocolate, masala, black pepper, mint, ajwain (carom seeds), and plain, Kruvil believes that this will help in catering the diversity of people with far-ranging taste preferences.
Blending different flours, Indian natural spices, and flavours, this mixture is baked at a very high temperature to absorb moisture.
The finished products are not only 100 percent natural with no added preservatives or artificial flavouring, but the spoons also have a shelf life of six months from the date of manufacturing. The start-up even gives one the opportunity of customising the spoons as per the size, shape, and taste.
The cost of a single spoon ranges from ₹3 to ₹6, depending on quantity and flavour. While a plain-flavoured spoon is priced at ₹3 per piece with an order quantity of over 5,000 pieces, a chocolate spoon is sold at ₹4.5 per piece.
As of now, these edible spoons are being marketed through Living Essentials, a Mumbai-based distributor, but one can also order these spoons directly by reaching out to Trishula via its Facebook page.
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In just a span of four months, Trishula has found takers in not just India but also countries like Australia, Norway, Malaysia and South Africa, and has has sold over 50,000 spoons! The venture will soon be live with a website of its own that will enable more people to easily access edible cutlery from across the globe.
While a new manufacturing unit that can produce 5,000 spoons in an hour is in the pipeline for the young entrepreneur, Kruvil also plans to harness the full potential of edible cutlery by exploring products other than spoons in the future.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
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