Don't want to wash your plates after meals? Now you can eat them instead

Edible tableware, such as plates made of prawn crackers and cups made of seaweed, are gaining popularity in Japan as environmentally friendly substitutes for disposable dishes, thus cutting down on polystyrene foam and plastic waste.

For example, the "e-tray" series by Japanese firm Marushige Seika K. K. features edible serving plates and bowls made of prawn crackers. The products are much sought after by food vendors at outdoor events, and the company based in Aichi Prefecture's Hekinan has also been receiving overseas inquiries.

Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, the plates and bowls are durable enough not to break too easily. "You can pour in water and they will still hold up for 30 minutes," said Marushige senior managing director Katsuhiko Sakakibara. The company, which makes the crust for ice cream-filled "monaka" wafers, developed the edible tableware about four years ago. As an ordinary monaka crust, made from wheat flour, is weak against moisture, the firm turned to prawn crackers - a local speciality - to improve water resistance.

The solution was to mix raw prawns into a starch batter and bake it under high pressure into 5mm-thick plates. The "e-tray" products even include "flavoured" plates that taste of sweet potato or onion, for example.

The company hopes its edible food trays can help reduce the enormous amount of trash generated from plastic and polystyrene utensils at outdoor events. "We would like to promote our plates and bowls as environmentally friendly," Sakakibara said.

Meanwhile, small cups made of edible seaweed by Yokohama-based food packaging material manufacturer Honest have also become hot sellers. The cups - about 2cm deep and 4cm wide - are especially popular among mothers with young children as they can used when making "bento" lunch boxes.