From seaweed farm to seaweed fork, from biomaterial to biomanufacturing - Development and manufacturing of Notpla Rigid material from whole biomass seaweed

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Under this project, the consortium members aim to build a unique, world-class UK biotech-based production capacity for the manufacture of injection-moulded feedstock 'Notpla Rigid Pellets'. These are made from whole seaweed biomass including UK-grown seaweeds, to produce a truly circular and sustainable product (100% bio-based and home compostable) which minimises wastes, cuts input costs and significantly reduces climate and environmental impacts.We will advance the Notpla Rigid material and by project end have built out the capacity to produce tonnes of Notpla Rigid product, for conversion into a range of products. Existing and incoming legislation banning single-use, disposable plastic cutlery will create vast new market opportunities which we aim to fill with an advanced bioproduct (Rigid material single-use cutlery) made from a sustainable, bio-based feedstock (Seaweed) and manufactured entirely in the UK.Utilising brown seaweed grown in the UK allows us to support the growth of the UK seaweed sector, an industry with significant potential to supply the UK's future bio-based feedstocks to replace petrochemical feedstocks.Our consortium comprises partners representing every stage of the value chain; seaweed growers, processors, lab development and manufacturers. Over the 24 months of this project, the consortium members will embark on collaborative industrial research and development, building working relationships and partnerships and sharing specialist expertise in their respective areas needed for industrialisation. We will build long-term cooperation across UK sectors to grow manufacturing capacity.Finally, we will build the commercial relationships to ensure that by project end, we are positioned to commercialise the products (cutlery, secondary packaging and others), providing the business case for scaling up production and manufacturing and building out the UK's future green economy. In addition, rigorous assessment of the process from farm to factory gate to disposal will enable us to demonstrate the potential of our products to mitigate climate change and protect the environment when compared to traditional plastics and bioplastics, verifying their circular and sustainable properties.