Seaweed: The Future of Packaging

Scientists predict that 8 tonnes of plastic waste have reached our waters due to human pollution since 2010. That’s roughly the mass of 90 naval vessels. This is why the increase in water and plastic pollution is skyrocketing.

If nothing is done to reverse the latest trend, the amount of plastic in our ecosystems is expected to balloon by 2025. The good news is that many organizations are actively attempting to reverse this hazardous trend by investing in green packaging choices. Surprisingly, seaweed is among the most promising replacements for plastic.

Seaweed as Plastic Alternative

Kelp has a bright future in the packaging business, owing to its ease of cultivation and ability to grow up to 3 meters per day. The entire harvest is fully mature in just over a month, making the growing process completely doable.

It blooms along every coastline and is easy to extract from the water. Furthermore, unlike other commodities, it does not need fertilizers or freshwater, making it relatively inexpensive to cultivate.

Another advantage of kelp is that it is biodegradable. Single-use kelp containers decompose in four to six weeks. But instead of letting seaweed products decompose, you may also ingest them.

One great thing about seaweed for packaging is that this process involves no chemical distillation, unlike comparable substances. The only residue of the method is yeast, which may be transformed and fed to domesticated animals.

At the moment, Asia is home to over 90% of all large-scale seaweed plantations. With increased knowledge about the numerous benefits of minimizing plastic pollution and how to use kelp in containers, more prospects for US seaweed farms are likely to develop.

Another significant advantage of seaweed farming is the obvious advantage to our seas due to its ability to capture CO2 emissions and reduce water salinity. We are reducing carbon emissions from the environment by increasing agricultural activities worldwide and making investments in seaweed as a material for containers.

As the concept of seaweed packaging spreads, momentum will build. More businesses will recognize the benefits of investing in raw materials, and rising innovators will shape the future of manufacturing as we see it.

Final Words

Every day, we should be mindful of plastic containers and work to reduce waste. Unfortunately, seaweed provides excellent prospects for the future of packaging as well as general sustainability initiatives in the preservation of our planet.