By: Amanda Froelich,
Forget plastic water bottles or chic, eco-friendly alternatives, now you can opt to go all the way for the environment with an edible water bottle that can be cooked up in your kitchen. Well, if you can get past its gelatinous membrane.
Invented by London-based students, the Ooho water bottle can be eaten or safely thrown away. Designed by Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, Pierre Paslier, and Guillaume Couche, this blob-like container offers inspiring alternative for those wanting to transport their water in the most eco-friendly way possible. It even recently was awarded a 2014 Lexus Design Award.
Because millions of plastic water bottles end up in landfills despite their ability to be recycled, an edible water bottle that consumers can eat or throw away will help keep waste low and set a positive example for environmental practices.
The edible algae membrane was inspired by egg yolks and uses a thin membrane to keep its contents in place. Called “spherification”, this method uses the culinary technique that shapes liquid into spheres – like caviar. The Ooho bottle is formed from this process, but has a much tougher membrane. Water is then held safely inside within an extra membrane layer that is also gelatinous in form.
While the gelatinous layer isn’t exactly a culinary delight, as it’s made from brown algae and calcium chloride, it’s edible nonetheless. Many differences set this design apart from typical bottles, but the designers are optimistic those aspects can be utilized to set it apart from other storage containers.
For example, because the product is made of dual layers, labels can be placed between the gelatinous layers without affecting the quality of the aqua. And design-wise, different sizes can be created and managed during packaging while the water is frozen.
This concept is simple, inexpensive, and has great potential – so great, designers suspect people will one day cook them up in their own kitchen!
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