Convenience doesn’t have to cost the world. As Vance Packard wrote in “The Waste Makers” (1960), “Our economy is such that we cannot afford to take care of things. It is cheaper to throw them out and replace them than to maintain them.” This quote seems to encapsulate the change in societal mindset towards planned obsolescence and single-use products that fuelled the disposable culture which is rife today. Whilst this was shift in mindset was revolutionary at the time of inception, it now poses a significant threat to the environment, economy and society, perpetuating a cycle of overconsumption and waste generation.
One of the largest contributors to this waste generation is single-use packaging, with an estimated market size of USD 45.5 billion in 2025, that is expected to rise to 60.7 billion by 2030. A staggering 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging is produced annually, which contributes to 40% of worldwide plastic waste. Whilst effective recycling is on the rise, much of this waste still enters landfill sites every year at an alarming and unsustainable rate. The fundamental principles of waste management that are taught to every kid at school are REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLE. These were engrained into my head as a kid. Whilst advances in biotechnology are helping to recycle plastic waste (see my previous post titled: “A Solution for Pollution: How Bacteria are Transforming Plastic Waste Management”), the first action in the command is REDUCE. As mentioned earlier, the demand for plastic packaging is actually increasing, largely due to necessity and population increases. Altering this statistic slightly, it can be said that the demand for “packaging” is increasing, but does this packaging have to be made of plastic?
Noptla is an emerging start-up that is beginning to make headway in the market for their suite of regenerative packaging materials made from seaweed and plants. On their website you will find the slogan “convenience doesn’t have to cost the world” which I think is very powerful as it highlights the struggle many of us face today as choosing to do the right thing for the collective and the planet often comes at the expense of individual cost and time. It would be almost impossible to change the mindset of the world away from consumerism, and as the old adage goes, if you can’t beat them, join them. In my opinion, this is what makes this food packaging solution so exciting as it is a direct replacing to what currently exists and the consumer will be none the wiser. You will have done your bit for the environment without realising. Their current food containers use a natural seaweed-based coating instead of traditional petro-chemicals, which means once you are done eating the container it can be thrown in the compost, instead of the bin. If thrown in the bin, over time the packaging will fully decompose and contribute 0 space to landfill sites.
The UK food standards agency published an article in July 2024 highlighting that the switch to bamboo-based containers may not be as environmentally friendly as first perceived. Whilst this is not true of all bamboo packaging, some are made from a blended mix of bamboo and plastic which helps give the product a more rigid structure. They claimed that these containers can sometimes leak melamine or formaldehyde into your food or drink if heated or if particularly acidic foods are consumed. Whilst usually harmless, over a long period of time, this could be harmful to your long-term health and well-being. With the trending health-conscious societal change in mindset and micro-plastic consumption being high on the agenda, the market could be in the perfect position to accept a new food packaging solution which simultaneously helps both the individual and the environment. Notpla have already partnered with Lucozade at the 2019 London Marathon and Just Eat at the 2022 EUFA Euros Women’s Final. They recently announced a partnership with Prince William (winning his Earthshot prize) early in 2024 to bring their food packaging to major sports venues in the UK and Ireland. A 3-year partnership with Levy will see 75 million of their seaweed-based food packaging materials across 50 sporting and event venues around the country. This is extremely exciting as they look to change the disposable food packaging market one container at a time. As the brand grows, so too does their product range and it seems they are in a really strong position to change the world for the better, forever.
Evoware is another packaging company offering similar products, but this time based in Indonesia. Evoware have a more extensive product range, which uniquely also includes plastic bags. The bags are made from a bio-based polymer derived from cassava or corn-starch as well as vegetable oil derivatives. The company claim if stored correctly, the bag can be re-used and will last up to 2 years. The bag itself is bio-degradable, compostable and water soluble, offering a very unique solution to potentially replace the trillions of plastic-based shopping bags which are produced annually. Evoware have also ventured into seaweed-based packaging solutions as they attempt to develop a safe to consume alternative to plastic. Whilst this new edible-packaging market remains unproven, the concept has been used by the pharmaceutical industry for years in pill casings. The move towards edible packaging appears to be the future direction for lots of start-up packaging companies and it will be interesting to see if a viable alternative solution can be developed and if it can out-compete traditional plastic-based materials.
Sway is another company entering the packaging market with a seaweed-based solution. In contrast to the aforementioned companies, Sway offers raw-materials, that can be sold directly to manufacturers to replace plastic components, most notably in resin and film form. The company won first prize at the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize in 2023 which gave them a nice cash injection and invaluable industry relationships. The material, dubbed TPSea & TPSea Flex debuted at Paris Biofabricate in 2024, the premiere showcase for pioneering biomaterial innovation. The products are still in pilot phase but mark an exciting opportunity to disrupt the manufacturing market in an impactful way.
Some of the companies mentioned in this post came together in late 2023 to create a Natural Polymers Group to encourage policy makers at INC-3 and beyond to recognise natural polymer materials as valuable assets in combatting plastic pollution. This is helping drive the necessary change away single-use plastic packaging and paving the way for bio-based alternatives to take hold on an industrial scale. Whilst the road ahead is still long, this is definitely evidence of the market moving in the right direction towards a longer-term sustainable solution that is beneficial for both individuals and the planet. Since this group was formed Noptla have successfully secured contracts with major food retailers, including Just Eat and COP28. The Dutch government has also recognized Notpla’s seaweed packaging as the first plastic-free material to comply with the European Single-Use Plastics Directive. Moves like this with companies at the forefront of sustainable innovation show that change is possible and with no sign of a reduction in demand for plastic packaging, I would argue it is needed and needed soon. Whilst improved recycling capabilities and infrastructure are helping, the market disruption provided by these partnerships appears to be paving the way for sustainable solutions to replace traditional methods and hopefully adoption in other industries.
