According to the World Instant Noodles Association, over 103 billion servings of instant noodles get consumed annually. It’s not hard to understand why, as it’s a quick, cheap, and versatile snack or meal.
Unfortunately, for all the convenience of instant ramen, nearly every serving comes wrapped in plastic, whether it’s in a styrofoam cup or a plastic bowl. Nearly none of it gets recycled, and it ends up in our oceans or landfills.
Australian designer Emily Enrica, however, set out to create a more sustainable instant noodle package out of paper with her “Paper Noodle” concept.
The entire package, from the sauce and spice condiments to the bowl and utensils come from 100% biodegradable materials, which are also food-safe and microwavable. The bowl is ergonomically-shaped featuring flared-out rounded ends and comes molded to hold your chopsticks and spoon in place. Plus, it comes wrapped with a nifty, paper belly band.
While Emily’s Paper Noodles is conceptual, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched as to be impossible to commercialize. As the plastic pollution crisis grows more acute by the day, finding alternatives to plastic packaging for such a universal meal like instant noodles is critical.
