Angus Ware, a designer in Sydney, developed Holy Carp! — a reusable and compostable soy sauce container designed as an alternative to single-use plastic shoyu-tai (the iconic soy sauce fish).
The project was driven by the environmental impact of plastic shoyu-tai, which are often littered and contribute to global plastic pollution. Ware pointed out that these tiny containers are notoriously difficult to recycle due to residual sauce and their small size.
Holy Carp! is made from bagasse (sugar cane fiber) mixed with food-safe wax for liquid resistance. The design features a container and a lid; users squeeze the fish to release soy sauce through a tiny hole in the lid. The product aims to retain the nostalgic appeal of traditional shoyu-tai while being fully biodegradable.
"Recycling is simply not viable for small plastics," Ware argues.
Ware estimates that between 8 and 12 billion plastic shoyu-tai have been used since the 1950s. While the new container is more expensive to produce than plastic, it is comparable in cost to other non-plastic alternatives. Ware expressed optimism that consumers will adopt the biodegradable option, despite the higher price point.