Unwrapping the Global Plastics Problem

Notpla is a UK-based seaweed packaging company focused on making packaging disappear. Notpla–short for “not plastic”–creates seaweed-based materials to replace single-use plastics such as cups, bottles, and grab-and-go condiments. Notpla tests new products, develops production technologies for commercial scale manufacturing, then partners with companies to launch and distribute packaging solutions for a range of markets, including food, cosmetics, consumer electronics, and jewelry.

In 2019, Notpla teamed up with British sports drink company Lucozade to distribute water and sports drinks to London Marathon runners in edible and biodegradable seaweed sachets called Ooho. Notpla’s plastic-free hydration stations drew worldwide public attention when post-marathon clean-up footage showed distinct contrasts to traditional hydration stations surrounded by plastic bottles. Since the marathon, Notpla has partnered with companies to trial Ooho in a variety of settings and applications, including cocktails and condiments at music festivals and sporting events.

Notpla continues to expand its product line, recently launching the world’s first seaweed-coated takeout boxes. The boxes are home compostable and provide the same grease and water-resistant qualities, ideal for takeout containers– without plastic. In partnership with Just Eat, a European online food delivery service, Notpla has rolled out more than 1.3 million takeout boxes in restaurants and at big sporting events across the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Ireland.

“Our solutions break down naturally like a piece of fruit and don’t leave behind microplastics,” says Notpla Research Director Louise Anderson. “Notpla supports Just Eat’s goal to help cut back on the 2 billion plastic boxes used in takeout packaging across Europe each year.”

Notpla is scaling its technology to bring new products to market and reach more consumers internationally. They use seaweed extracts, seaweed by-products, and whole seaweed in their material formulation and product design process. Louise and a team of designers, scientists, and engineers experiment with varying combinations of seaweed compounds and by-products to produce materials with different enduse properties.

This is a excerpt from an article on the GreenWave website.

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