Confetti may look nice, but all those thousands of tiny pieces are not great for the environment. Even paper confetti can contain a layer of plastic, contributing to the already huge amounts of plastic discarded during Carnival celebrations.
But now there is an alternative: edible, biodegradable confetti.
René Rӧvekamp, a “litter coach” who coaches people on how to reduce plastic waste, explains the impact that plastic and paper confetti have on the environment: ‘they end up in the water or blow miles away’. Confetti can also pollute water treatment plants. ‘Generations after us will still be feeling the consequences from this,’ René says.
It is therefore time for an alternative, according to Ida van Esch from Candy Converters, a company that specialises in the production of edible party materials. ‘I was already working on an edible tear-off calendar made from candy paper,’ says Ida. ‘Then I thought, what more can I do with it? I started a conversation with the factory where I buy the candy paper. They told me that they throw away remnants of paper that they don’t need, or give them to farmers to mix with animal feed. I thought that was a waste, because it is still suitable for human consumption. That is where the idea came from to make edible confetti.’
The edible confetti is made from potato starch, water, oil, sweetener and colourings. It is biodegradable and does not leave micro-plastics in the environment. ‘Suppose that this confetti blows into your garden. It will be gone after a rain shower,’ Ida explains. Another advantage is that you will no longer have to fish confetti out of your beer cup during Carnival festivities.
If people don’t like the edible confetti idea, Ida advises them to cut down on how much confetti they use. ‘You could also make confetti from flower petals, but that might be a bit expensive. It also takes a lot of time. You could also use flour, but I think that would be rather messy.’
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translator: Rachael Vickerman
