Six innovative minds from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.)- Quezon City gave the fight against plastic pollution a tasty twist by coming up with “edible cutleries,” which clinched the third spot in the 2023 Swiss Innovation Prize’s sustainability category.
Led by 4th-year civil engineering major Stanley del Rosario, the team known as “Edgetec” believes their solution could revolutionize people’s reliance on single-use plastics.
“With a simple product like ‘edible cutleries,’ we believe it can be a sustainable solution to lessen our need for single-use plastics,” said del Rosario.
“It won’t cause a problem to the community, especially for marine animals, because even if they ingest it, it is safe,” he added.
The students cooked up this genius idea during a two-month research work that explored the possibility of turning flour into consumable utensils as a replacement for flatware made of single-use plastics. This was part of their coursework for Tech 101 Engineering and Entrepreneurship class.
Submitted to the Swiss Innovation Prize last September, their creation soared to the top three in the sustainability category, besting 147 other entries, announced the school on its website.
During the awarding ceremony last month, Edgetec walked away with a shiny trophy, a Php30,000 cash prize, and site visits to Swiss companies, non-profits, and a VIP tour of the Swiss Ambassador Dr. Nicolas Brühl’s official residence in Makati City.
But beyond their victory, Edgetec has a mission: to spread the word about the harmful effects of plastic pollution, especially on marine biodiversity.
“We don’t have the discipline to dispose and segregate our plastic products properly. The Philippines doesn’t [even] have a strong and concrete waste management plan,” noted Del Rosario.
“All these things need to be addressed because it is putting our future generations in danger,” he added.
