One environmentalist group says it's a potential fan of edible packaging. The U.S. has an overall recycling rate of 34.5% and 51% rate of packaging recycling -- much lower than many other developed countries, says Darby Hoover, senior resource specialist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
"Companies that make these packages have an obligation to help ensure those packages aren't wasted," she says. "Edible packaging has the potential to be a meaningful part of that opportunity."
The company making the KFC edible cups is the Robin Collective, a London-based food science specialist. The company also has worked on infusing aroma into other cups, including some that smell like coconut, fresh-cut flowers or freshly mown grass.