Plastic pollution is gradually engulfing the oceans, and finding a solution to the problem is crucial. It is vital to find environmentally friendly materials that can replace plastics. That's where many new materials companies are heading. That's exactly what Evoware, an Indonesian company, is trying to do.
Indonesia is the second largest marine litter emitter in the world. Ninety percent of their plastic waste is dumped in the ocean, and 70 percent comes from food and beverage packaging. A quarter of all fish are exposed to plastic pollution. Against this backdrop, Evoware developed the idea of replacing plastic packaging with seaweed material.
The reason why seaweed is used as a material is also due to the local situation. Indonesia is also the largest producer of seaweed. Seaweed farming is a large industry in the country, but its scale does not translate into benefits for farmers. Many of the producers of this major export live in poverty, and Evoware hopes their program will help address both of these issues. They hope to work with the country's seaweed farmers to create biodegradable packaging from their produce, which could not only reduce plastic waste in the country, but also give a significant boost to the livelihoods of poor Indonesian farmers. Evoware's aim is not to replace all uses of plastic with algae. Obviously, it is not suitable for packaging of more powerful items, instead they focus on smaller products such as food bags and packaging, as well as packaging for other small products such as soap.
For these purposes, they have created two algae-based materials. One is biodegradable and designed for use in non-food products. Unlike plastic, consumers do not need to worry about where they will end up after use.
The other is very interesting and designed for food packaging, it dissolves in warm water and is completely edible even in a non-dissolved state. Instead of dumping the contents of the spice bag into the noodles, you can simply throw everything in. You can put your teabags in there because they will disintegrate anyway.
The seaweed package can be kept for two years without preservatives, it is nutritious, high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and can be made into different flavors such as mint and green tea. Most importantly, it can be printed with text and logo on it like plastic, and it also supports heat sealing.
The first product Evoware developed was a jelly cup made of seaweed, and now other types of packaging have appeared, such as coffee bags and seasoning packets. The seasoning packets made from seaweed can be dissolved under hot water and then consumed directly without throwing away the packaging, which is easy to use.
Evoware says seaweed-based bioplastics don't taste good. In fact, it is virtually tasteless and odorless. Apparently it also contains a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals that make it suitable for human consumption.
David Christian, one of the founders of Evoware, said, "The reason we create edible, biodegradable products stems from a concern about the state of environmental pollution. Indonesia is one of the most polluted countries in the world in terms of rivers and is second only to China in terms of plastic waste."
The idea of seaweed packaging is novel, but to truly replace plastic will have to consider whether the market accepts it. According to retailers, ice cream cones made from seaweed are five times more expensive than ordinary materials. But the good news is that the Indonesian government has made up its mind to tackle the problem of plastic waste, so maybe we'll see bags made of seaweed soon.
