Edible wrap alternative to plastic

A London startup has found a solution to reduce soil and ocean pollution, developing edible or biodegradable wrappers made from seaweed, according to Agence France-Presse. This year, startup Nutbla is competing among fifteen finalists to win the Earthshot Prize launched by Prince William to reward beneficial innovations in terms of protecting the environment or combating climate change.
The Nutella adventure began in a small kitchen in London. French Pierre Paslier and Spaniard Rodrigo García González, both of whom are studying at the Royal College of Art in London to train in innovative product design, sought to make environmentally friendly packaging.
And the 35-year-old Frenchman says: “When I was a packaging engineer at L’Oreal, I was developing packaging made of plastic, from shampoo bottles to cream containers, and I quickly realized that I wanted to work on solutions instead of the plastic sun that ends up with. end in the environment. The Taliban are trying to design packages made of natural and biodegradable materials, unlike plastics that come from the petrochemical industry.
After testing different plants, “we found extracts from seaweed, and we realized that we could develop solutions very close to what we can find in nature, perhaps even edible,” according to Pierre Paslier.
A video clip in which the two students present the idea of ​​edible bubble wrap called “Ohu” went viral on the Internet, sparking interest from investors. In 2014, the two students founded Nutbla, and it is now in a stage of significant expansion with more than 60 employees, and is close to manufacturing its products on an industrial scale.
The packaging developed by the company, which is the size of a large cherry tomato and is made from extracts of seaweed through a still secret route, can package all kinds of liquids: water, cocktails intended for use during festivals, or energy drinks distributed for example in 2019. Runners in the London Marathon. When chewed in the mouth, this substance becomes like a candy with a gelatinous texture.
In the company’s offices, located in a large warehouse near Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, the bubbles are produced, while other products are made by manufacturers contracted to “Notbla” in Europe. The young team also runs laboratories to develop new products, which in turn are based on seaweed.