Page 17 - Plastics News July 2021

FEATURES

The ‘Thooshan’

Ernakulam native comes up with ‘edible’, eco-friendly cutlery called ‘Thooshan’ that can tastefully replace
single-use plastic

everal states in the country, including Kerala, have .DQSXU .HUDOD $JULFXOWXUDO 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG ,QGLJUDP /DEV
Salready banned single-use plastic. Though Covid According to Vinayakumar, food containers, bowls, cups,
dimmed these efforts, plastics still remains wonder and cutlery including spoons, fork and knives using edible
material as there is no other alternatives . But if there wheat bran will hit the market soon.“If someone is not
were effective alternatives, this could have been many happy with eating the plates, they can always discard it.
may be convinced to stop using plastic daily. 7KH LWHPV FDQ EH XVHG DV FDWWOH IHHG SRXOWU\ IHHG ÀVK
feed, and organic manure. The product, after its use, will
Ernakulam native Vinayakumar Balakrishnan has come up
with ‘edible’ cutlery, which is not just eco-friendly but can never accumulate as waste. It will serve as food to all the
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consumed. Vinayakumar, who left his job as a CEO of a Life The brand also helps local farmers by procuring wheat
Insurance company in Mauritius to start this initiative says, bran, which is usually a discarded by-product. This also
“ After two years of research, I have been able to create offers them extra income. The edible dinner plates can
‘Thooshan’, an edible cutlery that can tastefully replace be used in microwave and can withstand temperatures
single-use plastic. The Government of India proposes to ranging from -10 to 140 degrees. It has a longer shelf life
ban single-use plastic by 2022. People need an alternative and has also resistance to fungus and is bacteria-resistant
ZKHQ WKLV KDSSHQV µ as well . The light brown, smooth, edible tableware will
be soon distributed in all districts. “As an organic brand,
the product will not be sold by retailers selling plastic
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DRDO Launches Biodegradable

Packaging Products

n a bid to reduce single-use plastic, the Defence
IResearch and Development Organisation (DRDO) in
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Vinayakumar derived the brand’s concept and name from Ecolastic Private Limited, has launched environmentally
Thooshanila (tapered plantain leaf), as a tribute to god’s safe packaging products made from natural and plant-
own country’s tradition of eating out of disposable banana based food-grade materials.The bags which come in
leaves. The edible tableware is made out of wheat bran. two forms, soluble and insoluble, can be biologically
The manufacturing happens at a fully automatic robotic degraded in 3 months and cause no harm to the
plant in Angamaly with extreme caution to hygeine. The HQYLURQPHQW ZKDWVRHYHU 8QOLNH WKH FRQYHQWLRQDO
brand ‘Thooshan’, whose products are manufactured by polyethylene bags made from petrochemicals, which
Aura Exim and sold by Vir Naturals Pvt Ltd, is full of good are highly unsafe to the environment and takes years
intentions. to degrade, these bags are the most sustainable,
Thooshan will commence its production with edible dinner cost-effective, and ocean-safe alternative to single-
plates. He researched for nearly two years before entering use plastics. Director of Advanced Systems Laboratory
his products into the sustainable, eco-friendly bandwagon. (ASL), DRDO, Ram Manohar Babu said that he feels
The 100 per cent biodegradable product was formulated immensely proud at launching the Ecolastic packaging
after consulting with scientists at CSIR-National Institute product. "Eco-friendly products like these are essential
for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), for the survival of mankind and DRDO has played a vital
Thiruvananthapuram. The project was incubated at IIT role in bringing it out," he added.

17 July 2021 Plastics News