A Bare Spotlight On Zero Waste Products: Cutlery

There are numerous zero waste products available these days that help people transition away from using products that are packaged in plastic and/ or contain harmful chemical ingredients. 

Speaking to Founder & CEO of Bare Necessities Zero Waste India, Sahar Mansoor, this interview series looks at the reasons why the Bangalore based social business chooses to provide alternative, earth friendly options to consumers in India.

"22, 000 tonnes of plastic waste comes from cutlery of the food we order so frequently” (source). 

What materials are used for your cutlery? 

We use schima superba wood for our cutlery set, while our sporks are made from bamboo.

Why do you use this type of material? 

It is a perfect, simple addition for a zero waste bag that will last a long time. Both our cutlery and spork are really high quality and can be used for years with proper care.

Also, the material is lightweight and decomposes. We love using material that we know will decompose in a composter! 

Why design it in this way?

Reusable cutlery can divert a huge amount of single use plastic. All of that plastic waste that is being generated through delivery orders where plastic utensils are included can be avoided if we choose sustainable options.

Zero waste solutions don’t need to be complex, a sustainable fork and spoon can help us live without harming the environment. We love to explain this concept to people. When they recognise what the small steps that they can make are, they get really inspired.

Where did the team gain inspiration for this product from? 

After the straw, we thought, what else can we do? 

Travel necessities spurred this innovation because the team needed the ability to eat meals on the go. 

The next evolution was the spork to make it even easier to carry and use. One product instead of two! 

We gain new ideas like these by allowing our minds to wander. In this way, we developed a sustainable product that you can carry anywhere and for years! The spork is a multi- functional eating utensil that can be kept in office briefcases, school bags or in a lightweight travel pouch.

Our journey has been one where the process has simply unfolded by addressing the next problem that we have viewed by finding a waste free solution, which replaces single use products that pollute the planet for centuries.