PlantSea-Punnet: a versatile seaweed-based packaging

每年产生的塑料垃圾超过2.75亿吨。用于包装食品的塑料是塑料包装废物的最大来源之一。在英国，成年人扔掉165亿个塑料托盘，估计有25万吨。从英国杂货市场来看，水果和蔬菜包装每年占38,000吨。基于我们在开发尖端、可持续和可堆肥材料方面的成功，我们开发了PlantSea-Punnet，这是第一个基于海藻的完全可堆肥、食品安全的新鲜农产品可持续包装概念，可以防止22800吨塑料进入垃圾填埋场并污染环境。PlantSea-Punnet也是塑料的低碳解决方案。塑料生命周期的排放量预计将达到每年65亿吨二氧化碳当量。利用我们的创新方法和可持续材料生产的专业知识，PlantSea-Punnet每年可节省99万吨二氧化碳当量。在我们的实验室生产原型后，该项目使我们能够改进其材料组成，并与我们的主要合作伙伴合作，确保大规模交付这一概念。这将使我们能够提供一个功能性的解决方案，可以在减少塑料废物方面产生重大影响。

Over 275 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced every year. Plastic used in packaging of food items accounts for one of the largest contributory groups of plastic packaging waste. In the UK, adults throw away 16.5 billion plastic trays, at an estimated 250,000 tonnes. From the UK grocery market, fruit and vegetable packaging accounts for 38,000 tons per year.Building on our success in developing cutting edge, sustainable and compostable materials, the development of the PlantSea-Punnet, the first seaweed-based fully compostable, food-safe sustainable packaging concept for fresh produce, can prevent 22,800 tons of plastic reaching landfill and polluting the environment.PlantSea-Punnet is also a low carbon solution to plastic. Emissions from the life cycle of plastic are expected to reach 6.5 billion tonnes CO2e per year. Using our innovative approach and expertise is sustainable material production, PlantSea-Punnet could save 990,000 tonnes CO2e per year.Having produced prototypes in our laboratory, this project enables us to refine its material composition and work with our key partners to ensure delivery of this concept at scale. This will enable us to provide a functional solution that can make a significant impact in reducing plastic waste.