London, United Kingdom
“Our prime focus is on applications that are consumed quickly on the go because that usually leads to a higher risk of packaging entering the environment,” states Pierre Paslier, cofounder & co-CEO of Nopla.
“Our objective is to achieve 50% [seaweed] inclusion this year and a wood-free paper using other alternatives.”
Sustainable packaging brand Notpla (short for not plastic) has launched Notpla Paper— the first sustainable paper made with 30% seaweed by-product, using seaweed leftover from its own production processes to create a paper that can be turned into envelopes and boxes.
Notpla introduced its eponymous product Notpla Paper in collaboration with Canopy, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect forests and animal species threatened by climate change.
The new project plans on harnessing the power of seaweed to replace single-use plastics—one of the leading causes of environmental pollution across the globe.
As one of the fastest-growing organisms on the planet, seaweed does not require fresh water or fertilizer to grow nor require land, meaning it does not compete with food crop resources.
No chemical and human invention is needed to create seaweed-based packaging material.
Seaweed-based packaging is more linked to fruit and vegetables than chemical products.
After extracting the most valuable compounds in seaweed, up to 80% of its biomass is frequently considered waste and thrown back into landfills or sometimes used as animal feed.
By using 30% of that seaweed by-product, Notpla says they are contributing to driving a circular economy approach.
The company only uses what is naturally present in the ocean and what will at the end of life again be consumed by sea life.
Currently, 70% of Notpla’s paper is a mix of recycled and Forest Stewardship Council-certified pulp.
Their objective is to achieve 50% [seaweed] inclusion this year and a wood-free paper using other alternatives,
“It is critical to understand that not all papers are equal,” explains Paslier.
“Consumers are pushing for more natural solutions to hit the market, but the paper industry has been resistant to change.”
“Seaweed can change the game. Canopy’s support has been key for us to understand the pitfalls of the paper industry and maximize the positive impact that we can have with our packaging.”
Project: Notpla Paper
Designers: Notpla Limited
Manufacturer: Notpla Limited
Photographers: Longlong Han
