Bottles made from red algae

RED ALGAE BOTTLES

On one hand we are invaded by plastic bottles (35 billion are produced in the world every year), on the other hand, fortunately for us, there are also advances in this field of non-waste alternatives. For example, bottles made with red algae powder (agar agar) and water: ductile, resistant, and above all non-polluting and produced according to the idea of ​​the circular economy, where nothing is wasted.

The discovery of this extraordinary innovation is due to a thirty-year-old boy, Ari Jonsson, a student at the Academy of Art in Reykjavik, Iceland, who invented a completely biodegradable bottle, made from material derived from red algae. An innovation that could solve the long-standing problem of plastic dumped into the seaAccording to a report released at the 2016 World Economic Forum, Every year, at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in the seaIt's as if, every minute for 365 days, a garbage truck dumped its entire contents into the water, non-stop. At the moment there are over 150 million tons of plastic in the sea and the ones who pay the price are mainly living and plant species. Numerous fish eat the microparticles of plastic present in the world's seas, starting with the Mediterranean, and they almost always end up on our plates.

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SEAWEED BOTTLES

A plastic bottle takes about a thousand years to decompose. Thanks to Ari Jonsson's project, biodegradable plastic containers, a plastic container performs its function as long as it is in contact with the liquids inside, then begins to rapidly decompose, losing volume until it disappears completely.

The bottle was presented to the DesignMarch – a design and architecture festival held in Reykjavik – which has garnered widespread acclaim. Considering that 50% of the plastic bags It is used only once and then disposed of, the Icelandic student bottle is revolutionary. Not only does it avoid releasing toxic substances but it also recycles itself.

The project could represent the first step toward a revolution in beverage packaging. Furthermore, the container would also be edible, being made from a mixture of water and agar-agar. Eating it would eliminate the need for decomposition, and we would have significantly cleaner seas, for the benefit of all.

THE MANY PROPERTIES OF ALGAE:

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• Aequorea: In Brazil, marine buildings made from seaweed and recycled plastic.
• Algae recovery creates new job opportunities in Veneto