A few years ago, at a marathon in London, runners were given 30,000 edible capsules containing water and isotonic beverages. These liquids, instead of being bottled, they were wrapped in seaweed. The aim of this initiative was to reduce plastic waste, that is, the approximately 760,000 plastic bottles left on the streets after such incidents.

During the marathon, the capsules were filled with Lucozade Sport Orange energy drink and given to the runners. These biodegradable, jelly-like capsules can be filled with water or other beverages and swallowed or bitten to release the liquid inside. The packaging is made of a seaweed-based material and naturally breaks down in four to six weeks, about the same time as a fruit.

In this particular case, the so-called “Ooho” pods distributed at the event were created by Skipping Rocks Lab. start in growth committed to commercialization, but the truth is there is a whole trend This indicates that algae is a new form. packaging for all kinds of food and drink. Including coffee.

Rodrigo García González and Pierre Paslier began developing this technology in 2013 after graduating from Imperial College London. Today, they make their capsules using a material they developed themselves, called Notpla, which stands for “non-plastic.”

“Algae is an incredible resource. It doesn’t use farmland, it’s not necessary to irrigate it or use fertilizers,” explains its creators. Also, the concept is pretty simple, because it’s a diceand these are the technology nature uses to wrap objects using minimal amount of material. In fact, Notpla can also be used as a waterproof and anti-oil coating on food cartons.

This type of wrap can be used for any beverage such as soft drinks, alcohol, milk or water. In fact, they have already used them. presenting cocktails at festivals eat music and also bags full of ketchup and other sauces. Espresso martinis have become a complete experience. And hundreds of brands are interested in the product.

On the other hand, designers have already created smaller scale versions designed to hold liquids like toothpaste, coffee and sunscreen. “The ultimate goal is to prevent billions of single-use plastic packaging from being made by providing a positive alternative,” the developers say.

Say goodbye to old coffee pods

Today’s coffee pods can take up to 500 years to decompose, and we end up sending about 29,000 of them to landfills each year. Therefore, algae-based biodegradable packaging could become a pivotal point in improving the sustainability of the planet in the future. And there are several companies that are already committed to implementing them.

Swiss retail giant Migros is launching a proprietary coffee brewing system intended to replace disposable coffee pods. They use coffee-containing capsules wrapped in a thin protective layer of algae, called CoffeeB. insoluble in the preparation process. According to the company, this biodegradable layer is tasteless and colorless. Plus, it can be fully composted in about four weeks.

Although they do not contain plastic, new coffee balls (more like Lindt chocolates but without packaging) requires their own machine. Named The Globe and patented by Swiss brand Café Royal, it can prepare 5.3 to 5.9 grams of pure ground coffee balls. This CoffeeB pod system is currently only implemented in Switzerland and France, but is planned to be rolled out to Germany in 2023.

While the idea itself is great, the only downside right now seems to be the price. Seaweed wrap is currently more expensive than plastic, as it requires manual processing. Another hurdle is discovering how to scale production, so more resources and companies that rely on this system will be needed.

Eliminating plastic waste is a complex task. National Geographic states that 91% of the billions of tons of plastic produced each year is not recycled. It is assumed that people buy a million plastic bottles every minute. And finding an alternative to all that waste is vital.

But considering that seaweed has been in our kitchen for decades, and the plant has applications beyond sushi or other recipes, it’s never too late to examine the extent to which it can help us eliminate the plastic that is endangering our planet.

Images: Skipping Rocks Laboratory / Migros