In a potential boost for coastal economies, seaweed is being converted into biodegradable packaging.
Award-winning start-up PlantSea, based in Wales, has pioneered a seaweed-based flexible film that holds both liquids and dry products. The film is 100 per cent biodegradable and can be used as a replacement for plastic laundry pods.
Co-founder and COO Dr Alex Newnes is confident the new technology will help tackle microplastics, reduce carbon and contribute to a resilient green economy.
Alex – together with his fellow co-founders Gianmarco Sanfratello and Rhiannon Rees – met at university in Aberystwyth, where they were all PhD students.
Newnes said, “Some estimates suggest there could be one billion* water-soluble laundry and dishwasher pods used in the UK each year. These break down into tiny particles, resulting in around 1,000 tonnes of plastic dissolved into our water systems.
“Microplastics are making their way into our food and even into breast milk. Instead, we want healthy oceans and clean, plastic-free water and food chains – by thinking differently, we can have a big impact. Seaweed offers a biodegradable, compostable alternative.”
Information released at the UN Oceans Conference** reveals that at least 11 billion tonnes of plastic end up in the sea every year. Plastic is predicted to outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050.
And it is estimated that we consume up to 250g of microplastics every year – that’s the equivalent of a credit card every week. Plus, 83 per cent of our tap water contains microplastics.***
Wild seaweed harvesting is strictly controlled under quota, while aquaculture seaweed is grown from spores provided by native hatcheries within a specified range of where the seaweed will be grown. Seaweed cultivation results in carbon sequestration during growth, as well as providing habitats for native marine life.
A thriving, renewable aquaculture could also support employment in coastal areas typically suffering deprivation.
However, according to Newnes, industry needs to scale up if full economic benefit is to be achieved. He said, “Despite an ideal climate and extensive coastline, demand in the UK is low compared with other parts of the world. Many suppliers here lack high-volume customers to support growth, which is key to fostering job creation.”
PlantSea sources its seaweed from Scotland from both agricultural aquaculture and wild harvest. Since the business was launched in 2020, it has won two prestigious Start-Up awards, and now employs 10 people at its laboratory in St Asaph and hubs in Liverpool and London.
The company also produces paper and card packaging which incorporate waste seaweed. This product can be recycled in a standard paper mill and, in 2024, it became the first seaweed-based packaging to receive the OPRL Recycle label.
*www.statista.com/statistics/302319/liquid-detergents-for-fabrics-usage-frequency-in-the-uk
**www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2022/facts-figures
***wwf.org.au/news/2019/revealed-plastic-ingestion-by-people-could-be-equating-to-a-credit-card-a-week
