The *edible* plastic alternative

Over the weekend, we saw a novel idea launch on Product Hunt — jelly-like bubble pouches that reduce single use plastic. The edible spheres, called “Oohos,” are made of plant and seaweed extract, a material that biodegrades naturally after 4-6 weeks. 🌏

Some initial (mixed) reactions:

“If all these seaweed startups are just scavenging the Ocean’s seaweed I think we are replacing one problem with something that will likely be even a bigger problem later.” - Brad

“If we ended up in a situation where we have no plastic in the sea and have to farm more seaweed to make that happen, that sounds like a win to me.” - Vineet

The team behind Ooho is Notpla, a London-based sustainable packaging startup that wants to create plastic-free solutions. For example, Oohos could replace plastic cups and bottles at sporting events, cocktail cups at festivals, or condiment pots at fast food restaurants. 

How they make money: Notpla has created a local manufacturing machine that produces Oohos on-site. The company's primary business model is to lease this machine and sell cartridges of materials to event organizers, enabling them to produce and sell fresh Oohos with drinks or sauces as needed. 🙌

We've seen a few other startups come up with *creative* packaging solutions to eliminate single-use plastics. Notably, there's Blueland for everyday cleaning products in “forever bottles.” There's also Loop for reusable containers for things like deodarant, mouthwash, shampoo, etc. To venture further down the sustainable rabbit hole, go here.

How fast are your reflexes? Take the Boba Challenge. 👀