Ooho is an edible and home compostable “blob” for beverages and condiments made from seaweed. It offers an alternative to small flexible packaging used in take-away food and beverages, which has a low recycling value and can leak into the environment, harming biodiversity. Ooho’s potential is being recognised by various market players. For instance, following a successful trial of Lucozade filled Oohos at the 2019 London Marathon, Ooho is being rolled out as the selected hydration solution for Lucozade at running events. They are also partnering with Just Eat, Hellmann’s and Innovate UK to scale the uptake of Ooho as an alternative for plastic condiment sachets throughout the UK. Notpla, the company behind Ooho, is now exploring other applications like seaweed-based takeaway boxes, heat-sealable films, and sachets for non-food products.
Biodiversity benefits
Ooho eliminates the need for plastic-based sachets that could potentially leak into the environment and harm biodiversity. For example, approximately 36,000 plastic-based items were eliminated at the 2019 London Marathon trial and 46,000 sauce sachets were eliminated during an eight week trial with ten London restaurants. The blob can be eaten or composted and, if in the very worst-case scenario it ends up in the environment, it will take less than six weeks to biodegrade. Additionally, in contrast with fossil fuel-based plastics, the material is based on seaweed, a renewable resource that has the potential to regenerate coastal environments and capture carbon.
This page is part of a deep dive into biodiversity and plastic packaging, where we delve deeper into tackling plastic pollution through elimination, innovation, and circulation.
