This lamps looks good enough to eat. No, really: it’s made from a biodegradable plastic derived from vegetable glycerin and agar, which means that when it reaches the end of its natural life you can actually chow down on it.
Called Bite Me, it was designed by New York-based Victor Vetterlein. He explains:
“When the lamp is no longer useful or desired, the lighting strip is removed and the lamp may be eaten or thrown into the garden as compost.”
The lamp’s LED light source attaches to the main frame using adhesive plastic strips, and power is supplied along laser-cut metal lines from either mains or a computer. In order to eat it the electrical components must be removed, before the lamp itself is cleaned and then submerged in pure water for an hour so that it can soften up.
“The consistency after soaking the lamp in water for an hour is like wet Gummy Bears,” explains Vetterlein. Yum. It even comes in four flavours — orange, cherry, blueberry and apple — and contains plenty of nutrients, too. The lamp goes on sale soon. [Victor Vetterlein via Dezeen]