Biodegradable Orange Peels Make Fragrant and Functional Tableware

"orange peel bowl"Orange peels are already the perfect shape for a mug or small bowl, so Israeli designer Ori Sonnenschein helped them transform.

Oranges are in season during the winter months, and so they may have graced many people’s tables recently.  But oranges don’t have to disappear from your diet or your table once spring arrives.  Israeli designer Ori Sonnenschein has found a sustainable way to extend the season of this fruit, in the form of fragrant tableware made out of orange peels.

A self-described optimist, Sonnenschein believed in the potential of this usually discarded material and found a way to make it durable and useful again.

"orange peel tableware"Exhibited recently at Milan Design Week together with other sustainable projects created by Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design students, Sonnenschein’s line of tableware is titled ‘Solskin Peels’.

Of his project Sonnenschein says that “I focused on finding a local biodegradable and functional material.  I found it in citrus peels.  Through simple processing I could produce a lightweight, durable, biodegradable, water resistant material with a pleasant aroma, color and texture.”

"orange peel mug"Part of the process that he used in order to mold and harden the peels included drying them with microwave technology.

The full line of ‘Solskin Peels’ includes cups, plates, spoons, mugs, and small jars.  One of the mugs (pictured above) is made from an inside-out orange peel, which grants it a unique texture and color.

solskin design

For more see Solksin Design Studio

Read about more edible uses for oranges:
Artichokes and Oranges: December’s Seasonal Produce
RECIPE: Easy Moroccan Orange Salad
The Jaffa Orange Gets the Carbon Label

Karen Chernick
Karen Chernickhttps://www.greenprophet.com/
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
4 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.

TRENDING

Eco organization offices destroyed by Iran missile

Tel Aviv's eco organization, the Heschel Center, was impacted by an Iranian missile.

What are AWG air-water generators, and why they aren’t a golden-bullet solution (yet)

Atmospheric water generators (AWGs) sound like magic: machines that can pull drinking water out of air. The idea is mentioned in the Bible, where the elders would pray for water collected as dew on plants and the catch on turning this into a machine is in the physics. To turn invisible vapor into liquid, you must remove heat, especially the latent heat of condensation.

Jordan’s $6 Billion Aqaba–Amman Desalination Project from the Red Sea Moves Forward

In 2025, the Jordanian government signed agreements with a consortium led by Meridiam and SUEZ, alongside VINCI Construction and Orascom Construction. Under a 30-year concession agreement, the consortium will design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the system before transferring it back to the Jordanian government. The total investment is estimated at approximately $6 billion USD.

The Saudi Startup Turning Desalination’s Toxic Waste Into Its Own Disinfectant

For millennia, the Middle East's water crisis seemed an immutable fact of geography — a region defined as much by what it lacked as by what lay beneath its sands. Today, a convergence of plummeting solar costs, advancing membrane technology, and hard-won engineering expertise is rewriting that story.

Astro uses AI to help procure land for renewable energy

For oil-rich, environmentally vigilant Gulf states, Astro isn’t just another startup story. It is a blueprint for accelerating an energy transition that is now existential, not optional.

How AI Helps SaaS Companies Reduce Repetitive Customer Support Work

SaaS products are designed for large numbers of users with different levels of experience, and also in renewable energy.

Pulling Water from the Air

Faced with water shortage in Amman, Laurie digs up...

Turning Your Energy Consultancy into an LLC: 4 Legal Steps for Founders in Texas

If you are starting a renewable energy business in Texas, learn how to start an LLC by the books.

Tracking the Impacts of a Hydroelectric Dam Along the Tigris River

For the next two months, I'll be taking a break from my usual Green Prophet posts to report on a transnational environmental issue: the Ilısu Dam currently under construction in Turkey, and the ways it will transform life along the Tigris River.

6 Payment Processors With the Fastest Onboarding for SMBs

Get your SMB up and running fast with these 6 payment processors. Compare the quickest onboarding options to start accepting customer payments without delay.

Qatar’s climate hypocrisy rides the London Underground

Qatar remains a master of doublethink—burning gas by the megaton while selling “sustainability” to a world desperate for clean air. Wake up from your slumber people.

How Quality of Hire Shapes Modern Recruitment

A 2024 survey by Deloitte found that 76% of talent leaders now consider long-term retention and workforce contribution among their most important hiring success metrics—far surpassing time-to-fill or cost-per-hire. As the expectations for new hires deepen, companies must also confront the inherent challenges in redefining and accurately measuring hiring quality.

8 Team-Building Exercises to Start the Week Off 

Team building to change the world! The best renewable energy companies are ones that function.

Related Articles

Popular Categories