Final Report Conclusion

 6. Conclusion 

In conclusion, pollution from non-degradable plastic and styrofoam food containers is an issue we can no longer continue to ignore. Alternatives such as a more environmentally responsible food container must be sought in order to preserve our natural environment. Technomancer aims to provide a design solution for Khong Guan Biscuit Factory, as well as its consumers, which allows them to continue enjoying their products while having a peace of mind knowing they do not contribute to plastic pollution.

Technomancer focuses on providing a solution for two parts of the same problem, which is plastic pollution. The first part is the edible food container itself, and the second part is the external packaging wrapper to protect and preserve it. We found that although no such products exist in the market yet, there are similar products that share the traits as the edible food container such as the edible cutleries made by the company Bakeys. Just like Bakeys’ edible cutleries, the edible food container should be able absorb the flavours of the meal to enhance its taste. After the meal, the container is meant to be eaten instead of being discarded. However, although we could use similar ingredients to the edible utensils by Bakeys, we are unsure whether the differences between the two products would affect the quality. Since such a product does not exist in the market yet, there is a limitation on the research and information for us to be sure. 

As for the external wrapping, we have two possible solutions. The first is the seaweed packaging. Seaweed is a renewable resource and as such can be harvested without depleting natural resources. Seaweed is also edible, and can exist in many different forms, such as films or coatings which suit our purpose precisely. The second  is milk protein packaging made from a mix of 80% casein and 20% whey proteins. Along with its nutritional benefits, casein and whey proteins have the necessary properties that makes them ideal for use in edible films.

However, there are limitations when it comes to these two types of edible packaging. Right now, the cost of production for seaweed is higher than it is to produce traditional plastic packaging and more research and development is required to improve the properties of seaweed packaging, such as its strength and moisture resistance. The weakness of the milk protein packaging is also its very high cost of production and more properties need to be researched and improved before the development of the milk proteins as active/ intelligent packages. However, some of these limitations soon be resolved as time passes. 

Technomancer hopes that Khong Guan Biscuit Factory will consider adding a new production line in their factory to specialise in producing Edible Food Containers, or adopt the concept of our proposal in any way they see fit. If they do so, their consumers will be freed from having to find rubbish and recycling bins to discard their plastic food containers and cut down on plastic waste, thus aiding in the environmental effort against plastic waste.