Abhinav Bijavara Nagaraj: Creating a delicious solution to plastic pollution with Edible Cutlery

(July 3, 2024) National Geographic, in a report produced in partnership with the National Geographic Society shared, “Plastic cutlery is everywhere, and most of it can be used only once. Billions of forks, knives, and spoons are thrown away each year. But like other plastic items—such as bags and bottles—cutlery can take centuries to break down naturally, giving the plastic waste ample time to work its way into the environment.”

Once seen as a solution to reduce paper and bamboo consumption, plastic cutlery has now become an environmental crisis. Billions of plastic forks, knives, and spoons are discarded into landfills, oceans, and waterways each year leading to a significant environmental cost and a substantial carbon footprint. Australia based entrepreneur Abhinav Bijavara Nagaraj is doing his bit to tackle this problem. 

Abhinav Bijavara Nagaraj and team after winning the second place in the City of Canning – Plus Eight Sprint program

With dreams of a sustainable future, he has founded his venture, Edible Cutlery, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional disposable cutlery that is completely biodegradable. Made with natural ingredients the cutlery can be eaten after consuming food or drink. “It’s my dream company. I always wanted to do something for Mother Earth and give back to nature, and the venture serves this purpose, he tells Global Indian. “It is based on the idea of reducing waste in a sustainable and unique way,” he adds. 

Making meals fun with flavoured edible cutlery 

Edible Cutlery’s eco-friendly cutlery line of spoons, sporks, straws, cups and bowls come in a variety of flavours and colours to suit every taste. “Our edible cutlery is perfect for picnics, barbecues, and other outdoor events. We believe in providing our customers with quality and convenience, and we strive to make every meal a memorable one with an eco-friendly, tasty, and fun option,” tells the entrepreneur. 

Edible Cutlery offers a variety of flavours like chocolate, cheesy garlic, oregano, or green mango, enhancing every meal with an extra layer of enjoyment. For instance, one can pair chocolate-flavoured cutlery with ice cream to savour it after dessert, or choose cheesy garlic cutlery to complement dishes like pasta. 

Product range of Edible Cutlery

Recently, Edible Cutlery closed its first crowdfunding round. “I am so glad to see how people are supporting us and validating our ideas and concepts,” says Abhinav happy about the developments. 

Turning heads

To promote his dream company, Abhinav recently flew from Australia to Japan with his team to participate at SusHi Tech Tokyo, a global startup program where startups from across the world showcase their innovations and create new connections. “It was great for networking, and the pitch night gave us a chance to introduce our brand to hundreds of attendees, including founders, investors, and distributors,” tells the entrepreneurs.

To participate in the international conference his venture had to qualify in a selection procedure set by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation in Western Australia (WA). “Three WA startups were selected to represent the state at the SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 Global Startup Program from the many startups who had expressed their interest for the program and applied for it. The fact that the department chose us as one of the three startups bestowing their trust and support means a lot to us,” says Abhinav. 

Team Edible Cutlery at the SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 Global Startup Program

Running a business as an expat in Australia 

“There were challenges, but the Australian government is supportive and encourages businesses for economic growth and development,” he tells. “It is good to have an Australian citizen as a shareholder in your business venture if you are an expat but not a mandatory requirement. Expats are eligible to get ABN (Australian Business Number) to conduct business,” he mentions. 

Abhinav has been finding the business ecosystem of Australia quite constructive. “Most of the time, I have been supported and fortunately, I got investors and mentors to help me build my dreams,” he remarks. However, one major challenge was understanding the Australian market and mindset which he aced with time. 

While Abhinav was pursuing his master’s degree in marketing in Australia, he had indulged in some entrepreneurial projects. Experiences garnered from those along with few job experiences after passing out proved to be good stepping stones for him as an expat entrepreneur. 

From India to Australia 

After earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering in India Abhinav worked in a few companies, before moving to the University of Western Australia in 2019 to study marketing. “This was a fresh start for me and just the beginning of a new journey,” he tells. As a student of engineering and later marketing, he always had a knack for entrepreneurship. 

While studying as an international student in Australia, Abhinav had started offering marketing services as a freelancer, enjoying the part-time stints. After completing his studies, he joined a company called Heat Exchangers WA in a role that required knowledge of both marketing and engineering. “I knew from the very beginning that I was the perfect fit for the role,” he says. 

Abhinav Nagaraja during a presentation at the City of Canning – Plus Eight Sprint program

He worked there for two years before dipping his toes into entrepreneurship – his ultimate passion, and laid the foundation of his first business venture, Aeozo. Later, he started two more ventures, Pro Shakes and Edible Cutlery, being fortunate enough to attract angel investors and business partners who believed in his acumen and vision. 

 Abhinav Bijavara Nagaraj considers his movement to Australia a turning point. “Throughout these years, I have learned a lot, especially since starting my entrepreneurial journey. I know there’s much more to come and a lot more to explore,” he remarks adding, “I believe in constantly moving forward with more strength and knowledge. My aim is to take my startups to the next level while contributing positively to the planet.” 

Managing multiple ventures 

Talking about his other business venture Abhinav shares, “Aeozo is a marketing company helping over 100 businesses across Australia to level up their marketing. Creating a company like this was always on my list.” 

His second business venture, Pro Shakes, is a healthy drink brand that combines the protein with the deliciousness of a shake to offer a healthier option for people looking for taste and energy. “I had a chance to meet two individuals who were running the business with this interesting business idea on a small scale from kiosks. They had the idea, and I had the acumen and knowledge to build a brand, so we partnered and created Pro Shakes,” he tells. 

Abhinav Bijavara Nagaraj

Handling all the three ventures is overwhelming sometimes for him and Abhinav credits supportive co-founders, investors and a great team for making it possible to manage the operations successfully.

“My vision has been to bridge the gap between the demands and the available options. Whether it’s Aeozo, Pro Shakes, or Edible Cutlery, my primary goal is to offer superiority and quality over what’s already available. I believe that it’s not just about building brands but about crafting value for users and stakeholders,” he signs off.

• Follow Abhinav Bijavara Nagaraj on Linkedin
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