Sprout launches biodegradable plastic-free spoon with integrated teabag

Sprout has launched a plastic free Sprout Spoon integrated with a teabag, that is 100 per cent biodegradable.

The Sprout Spoon, is a foldable spoon with a teabag incorporated and while it can’t grow into a plant, it doesn’t contain plastic, metal clamps, bleach or pesticides as most teabags and stirring sticks do.

It can be thrown directly into the biodegradable waste as it decomposes and comes with three different tea variants and can also be made with cocoa, soup or coffee.

Five years ago, The Denmark-based firm launched the ‘world’s first’ sustainable pencil that you can plant after use and watch grow into herbs, vegetables and flowers.

Since then, 12 million of these pencils have been sold in over 70 countries and the pencils were particularly popular with companies globally who replaced plastic ball pens with this new innovation, according to rebnews.

Michael Stausholm, Sprout founder and chairman, said: “The Sprout Spoon represents a solution to one of the great plastic challenges that the world faces today. Especially the ‘drink to go-market’ needs to rethink its waste problem. Alone in the US, 100 million plastic spoons and other plastic utensils are used and thrown out every day. They can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. In Europe, the problem has such importance that the European Union has decided to ban plastic utensils by 2020."

“But also, the promotional gift industry needs more sustainability. It is still characterised by cheap throw away items like plastic ball pens and other stuff that has little use and soon ends up in the trash. We want to challenge the industry and offer a more thought through alternative.”