Food Containers Made Of Seaweed Aim To Replace Plastic And Reduce Pollution
What¡¯s unique about these takeout containers is that it¡¯s completely biodegradable and compostable, unlike conventional takeout containers which not only have plastic lining to prevent it from getting drenched but they also at times possess additives into the pulp that makes the already difficult decomposition process impossible.
Takeout food trash amounts to nearly half of all municipal solid waste in the US, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Notpla
In 2014 alone, out of the 258 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the US, over 63 percent was of packaging materials out of which only 35 percent (amounting to around 89 million tons) was recycled or composted.
Also Read: Seven Products That Reduce Our Plastic Use, Helping The Planet From Deadly Waste & Pollution
And while there are several organizations that are doing whatever it takes to create a smaller impact -- whether it¡¯s limiting the use of plastics or choosing biodegradable alternatives.
However, one company has now developed takeout containers that are lined with seaweed instead of plastic. These novel biodegradable containers have been developed by a company called Notpla.
What¡¯s unique about these takeout containers is that it¡¯s completely biodegradable and compostable, unlike conventional takeout containers which not only have plastic lining to prevent it from getting drenched. They also at times possess additives into the pulp that makes the already difficult decomposition process impossible.
Even though the board degrades, the coating that surrounds the boxes remains unchanged. The use of seaweed enables Notpla¡¯s implementation to be grease and water-resistant while also being naturally biodegradable.
Also Read: Environmentally-Friendly Utensils Are As Harmful As Plastic Ones, Finds Study
To encourage the use of biodegradable takeout containers, UK¡¯s takeout food app Just-Eat has run a campaign where it is testing these containers by Notpla across UK¡¯s popular food chains such as Freddy¡¯s Chicken Pizza in Liverpool and Mario Pizza in Manchester. The takeout food delivery app is hoping this could prevent as many as 30,000 plastic coated containers from entering the waste this long weekend.
Notpla
Robin Clark, Senior Director of Global Partnerships and Sustainability at Just Eat said in a statement, ¡°We're excited to continue our work with Notpla to create a credible alternative to the plastic box that is recyclable, home-compostable and which degrades in a matter of weeks. It has all the benefits of plastic from a practical point of view but none of the negative environmental impacts.¡±
He added, ¡°We look forward to expanding the use of the boxes more widely with the aim to roll these out across the UK and our other markets so that customers across the globe can enjoy their favourite takeaways without the plastic waste.¡±
