Welcome to Episode 72!

https://sustainable-ecom.com/ep72

As we know, authorities around the world are hard at work stamping out single use plastics, especially within the food service and hospitality space. Reusable alternatives to things like coffee cups have exploded in usage, and are a genuine alternative for the majority of times when you’re grabbing some caffeine.

But what happens for spontaneous purchases?

News in NSW recently was that the much vaunted compostable cups were going to get banned because they were starting to contaminate waste streams, and causing just as many problems as they solve. Carrying re-usable everything, while likely the most sustainable option, frankly just isn’t that convenient.

So if plastic is on way out, coated paper isn’t all that crash hot – what other alternatives could there be?

Enter the concept of edible tableware. We’re just starting to see the idea of this creep into Australia with a few brands doing edible cups, but my guest today, Maxim Gelmann is someone who’s been pioneering this concept since 2015. His brand Stroodles started with pasta-based straws, but now covers everything from plates to ice cream spoons.

Whether or not the items used actually get eaten is almost beside the point – what I loved most about Maxim and Stroodles is how he sees the brand’s role in making sustainability more accessible to mainstream consumers.