In Orange County, this year’s fair included a novel product for reducing plastic waste: edible spoons.
Available in the Culinary Arts section of the OC Promenade, the spoons come in chocolate and plain flavors. They are produced by Planeteer LLV (San Jose, CA), which offers customized flavors for the spoons. The spoons are also resilient, lasting almost a half an hour in soup and 45 minutes when consuming cold food.
Planeteer founder Dinesh Tadepalli tells the LA Times he wanted to improve the environment for his children. Biodegradables are “better than plastic, which takes 1,000 years [to break down], but it’s still harmful.” He also noted that many products labelled compostable require industrial facilities but end up in landfills.
The fair originally ordered 1,000 of the edible spoons, which they sold for a quarter each. Fair organizers said they quickly sold out.