Consumer Preference on Using Bio Degradable and Non-degradable Yoghurt Spoons with Special Reference to Hand Made Bamboo Spoons in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Single use spoons are commonly used in daily life and discarded in large quantities. Hence, it is necessary to find out sustainable alternative resources as raw materials for spoon manufacturing, and those alternatives should be accepted by the consumers. The aim of this research was to determine consumer preferences for plastic, wooden, and handmade bamboo spoons made from D. asper through a structured survey based on key factors: the frequency of use, taste, tactile comfort, environmental impact, and purchase intention. A simple random sampling method was used to select 51 participants. We surveyed them using a questionnaire to gather both qualitative and quantitative responses. Participants rated each material based on comfort of use, environmental impact, curviness, health risks, and cost. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze the data. Plastic spoons were found to be the most frequently used, with 74.5% of participants reporting weekly use. Plastic rated very high on the comfort factor among participants (p < 0.05) and was also perceived as fairly inexpensive (p < 0.05). On the other hand, bamboo spoons scored significantly high on environmental friendliness (p < 0.05), with participants showing high concern over ecological impact (p < 0.05). There was little variation in taste perception among participants (p = 0.889), while in terms of comfort and design, it appeared to be quite demographic (p < 0.05). The survey highlights that alternatives to bamboo spoons should be provided in a manner that maintains both user comfort and affordability. In this respect, bamboo appears to be the best option for those who stress the problem of ecological compatibility, although plastic remains leading in convenience and cost. More importantly, it would be interesting to further investigate how bamboo and wooden spoons can be made more marketable to overcome perceived deficiencies in comfort and design.