London’s Notpla Develops Seaweed-Based Packaging Material that “Disappears Naturally"

Notpla x Heinz Tomato Ketchup Sachet for the takeaway industry

London-based Notpla, a sustainable packaging startup

Helping solve the world’s plastic crisis

Notpla’s products are meant to be composted or dissolved after use — though some are edible, too. Current offerings include sachets for condiments, water, and even alcohol; a film wrap for products in your pantry or bathroom, like coffee or toilet paper; and takeaway boxes that replace plastic-based coating with seaweed lining to make them fully biodegradable.

Notpla, a London-based startup company is designing a seaweed-based replacement for single-use plastic packaging. Founded in 2014, the company closed a £10 million ($13.5 million) Series A financing round in early 2022, led by the VC firm Horizons Ventures, to scale and further develop its product line.

Notpla’s founders, Rodrigo García González and Pierre Paslie, initially looked to seaweed as the solution to the world’s plastic problem because it is abundant, grows quickly, doesn’t compete with land crops, and sequesters carbon from the air, Sibbel explained.

“Seaweed doesn’t use the land; it doesn’t use pesticides,” design director Karlijn Sibbel said. “It can grow into the ocean and the sea, where it actually has a lot of positive benefits so it can create new ecosystems for other organisms to thrive in.”

Sibbel says they look to nature as inspiration “for the ideal packaging,” like the skin on a fruit. “A peel will eventually be used (as nutrients) by nature, and disappear and become a part of the cycle,” she said.

“The exciting thing is that this is a film that can replace most of the flexible packaging that you see around,” Sibbel said. The potential contents could include coffee grounds, toilet paper, or the screws included for furniture assembly. For food items, such as pasta, they have even experimented with adding flavors to the packaging, so that dissolving the bag could add seasoning to the skillet.

“You can cook with it. And you can really start to rethink what we can do with these materials,” she explained.

The approach feels especially relevant as the world is coming to terms with the effects of decades of unfettered plastic production. According to the UN, 300 million tonnes (331 million tons) of plastic waste are produced globally each year, and out of the estimated 8.3 billion tonnes (9.15 billion tons) of plastic produced since the early 1950s, about 60% has been landfilled or discarded outdoors. Microplastics — tiny particles that are often the result of larger plastics breaking down — pollute the ocean, the air, and our bodies.

The capital will also support the development of Notpla’s seaweed fiber paper made from the by-products of the company’s industrial processes. This seaweed paper requires 30 percent less wood pulp than conventional paper, lowering pressure on forests while reducing waste from the seaweed supply chain, and making it a sustainable solution.

Notpla – Making packaging disappear

Co-CEO Paslier says, “We are delighted to accelerate the pace towards a zero single-use plastic future. This new round coupled with soon-to-be-announced commercial partnerships is the perfect opportunity to put seaweed on the map of packaging solutions. We’re excited to see traction in the foodservice industry and are looking forward to moving into the cosmetics and fashion markets very soon.”

The company is also collaborating with fashion and luxury brands to develop premium sustainable solutions for secondary packaging such as boxes, envelopes, or sleeves.

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