In an effort to make its products more eco-friendly, KFC is testing its edible serving bowls in India. The company is working on a cost-effective and long-term solution that can help replace plastics. They plan to try out their new product first in Bangalore and later introduce the same in other parts of the country.
According to a recent report, the plastic packaging industry of the country is growing at the rate of 18 percent per annum. It is expected to rise and reach up to $73 billion by 2020. The first product of KFC is said to be a tortilla base edible rice bowl. It is going to be used for KFC's Rice Bowl, one of its best selling dishes which was introduced in India in 2014.
KFC India's MD, Rahul Shinde said that they are trying to give an eco-friendly and delicious twist to their Rice Bowl. KFC UK had launched an edible coffee cup (made of chocolate) last year, but it was not introduced in India. As claimed by Shinde, the concept of edible rice bowl is unique to the country.
Shinde also mentioned about the company's attempt to create sustainable and eco-friendly solutions to reduce the use of plastic. They have started using materials like paper made bowls and glasses. They are also planning to bring in wooden cutlery to serve as a sustainable solution against plastic in the long run. Since the Karnataka government recently put a ban on plastic, KFC will first launch the edible rice bowl in Bangalore. It will be expanded to other places after analyzing the response from Bangalore.
KFC is going to introduce the vegetarian and non-vegetarian variants of the edible rice bowl from April 28-May 4. There will not be any change in its price and will continue to sell at Rs.89 onwards.