Words by Smiley Team
It’s in our oceans, it’s in our food, and now it’s even in our bodies. Plastic pollution is a growing problem for life on earth, taking hundreds of years to decompose. But the good news is there are alternatives out there to replace this damaging material.
Innovators from around the world are developing alternatives to plastic that can biodegrade or even be eaten. If we spread awareness of these better options and encourage companies to adopt them, perhaps we can hope for a plastic-free future.
[Read More: Why seaweed is vital in the climate crisis]
Chitin is the natural material that makes up parts of shellfish, as well as some insects, fungi and fish. Like plastic, it's pliable, resilient and quite tough. According to biotechnology company Cuantec, this makes it ideal to produce a fully compostable alternative to plastic. The company’s researchers hope they can extract chitin from food waste to develop a world-changing material that we can package food in to extend its shelf life. Find out more.
One beautiful alternative to plastic is seed paper. Quite simply, this material is made from recycled, post-consumer paper packed with seeds. When disposed of, the paper easily decomposes, leaving the seeds to sprout into herbs, vegetables and flowers. You can buy seed paper online from a number of different companies or simply make your own. Find out more about how it works.
In London, a team of designers, chemists, engineers and entrepreneurs are working hard to develop another plastic alternative made from organic materials. Using plants and seaweed, they're creating a durable casing like plastic which decomposes in up to six weeks. Or, if you’re feeling peckish, you can also eat it! The sustainable packaging startup, Notpla, makes the material from seaweed farmed in northern France. It is dried, ground down into powder, and transformed into a thick fluid, before being dried into a plastic-like substance. Find out more.
[Read More: Madrid to plant 'forest ring' around city]
The fashion industry is the biggest contributor to microfibre pollution. To combat that, a startup funded by H&M, Fairbrics, is extracting greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere and transforming it into pellets and yarn to make polyester. Such fabrics are usually made from petroleum and emit a huge amount of CO2, so this would be the first synthetic fibre with a net-positive impact on the climate crisis. Find out more.
Turkish startup Biolive uses naturally abundant olive seeds to create a range of bioplastic granules that can decompose in a year. The material shares many properties with fossil fuel-based plastic, making it an ideal alternative for food packaging. Not only is it better for the planet, it is also better for profits, reducing production costs by up to 90 per cent according to the startup. Find out more.
