Notpla’s biodegradable alternatives to plastic packaging. Nearly 10 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced in little more than a hundred years – with an additional half a billion tonnes being produced each year. While plastic has revolutionised the way we live, it has created oceans and mountains of waste which can’t be absorbed by nature. We need to come up with alternatives to plastic packaging if we are to protect the ecosystems on which we depend. Notpla have created a home compostable alternative to plastic which is derived from seaweed, a diverse and abundant organism found all round the world. Renewable and biodegradable, seaweed cultivation doesn’t compete for land with food crops, doesn’t need fresh water or fertiliser and actively contributes to de-acidifying our oceans. Notpla’s food packaging, edible bubbles, paper and pipettes are already being used commercially and the company was selected as the winner of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize 2022, in the category of ‘Build a Waste-Free World’.