A UK-based startup has come with a genius solution to tackle the environmental pollution caused by the excessive use of plastics. The company called Notpla has created an organic casing that could be used as an alternative of non-biodegradable plastic in storing and packaging eatables like ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, or any other condiment. The sachets named ‘Ooho’ are made from seaweed which are biodegradable, compostable and hence eco-friendly.
Made from seaweed, Ooho sachets from Notpla are biodegradable, compostable and even edible. Seaweed farmed in northern France is dried out and ground into powder before undergoing a patented process that turns it into a clear goopy substance which can be molded like plastic. Seaweed grows faster than paper or starch, and doesn’t compete for land or fresh water. The Ooho sachets come in various sizes, from a third of an ounce (approximately 10 grams) to two ounces (over 50 grams). Notpla has partnered with a British food delivery app called Just Eat on a trial basis, in which Ooho sachets are used for Hellmann’s ketchup, barbecue sauce and other seasoning condiments.
‘Seaweed is a fantastic base material due to its sustainability credentials and fast growth,’ COO Lise Honsinger told Packaging Europe. ‘By using a natural material as an input, it makes us a carbon recycler, rather than plastics which obviously come from non-renewable oil. Notpla has also developed packages for beverages, which can be easily opened using a bite. Alcohol brand Glenlivet used Oohos filled with whiskey and with water at the London Marathon. Earlier this year, a gym installed a vending machine which dispensed energy drinks filled in Oohos. The company is now targeting to bring a line of disposable takeout boxes to replace plastic carryout containers.
According to Unilever, Hellman’s parent company, over 90 percent of customers felt the sachets were just as easy to use as regular plastic packets and would like to see more takeaway sauces in Ooho packaging. ‘This trial is a great example of collaboration driving game-changing innovation,’ said Unilever’s Hazel Detsiny. ‘We’re creating a new and exciting experience for Just Eat customers who can enjoy the same great tasting Hellmann’s – but with zero plastic waste.’
Just Eat works with 29,000 restaurant partners in the UK and the trial will assess the feasibility of rolling out the seaweed sauce sachets more broadly across its network. The sachets, which are filled with either ketchup or garlic sauce, are made from an alginate based material. They are opened just like normal sachets and can be thrown into the home compost, or otherwise the normal bin, to fully decompose.
After raising more than $1 million in a crowdfunding campaign last year, Notpla raised more than $5 million in venture capital earlier this year. Next, it’s taking a bite out of another environmental menace – carryout containers – with a line of disposable takeout boxes, coming to market later this year. Most cardboard takeaway containers are treated with polylactic acid, or PLA, which can take centuries to decompose. The Notpla Box is treated with seaweed and plant extracts to make it waterproof and greaseproof.
