Climate change isn’t the only threat to our oceans: Plastic waste is killing wildlife and polluting the world’s water supplies at an alarming rate.
One young designer, however, may be able to help.
Twenty-four-year-old Lucy Hughes, a graduate student at the University of Sussex, won this year’s international James Dyson Award for her marine bioplastic.
Dubbed MarinaTex, the alternative design is made from organic fish waste and locally sourced red algae.
Translucent and flexible, the clever film looks and feels just like plastic. But its unique formula makes the material resource-light, requiring little energy and low temperatures to produce.
The cherry on top: It is home compostable in four to six weeks.
Unwanted offcuts from the fish processing industry create a huge waste stream.
But those exoskeletons, skins, and scales—which typically end up in a landfill instead of on our plates—are actually the perfect ingredients for making strong, flexible bioplastics.
One Atlantic cod, for instance, could generate enough organic waste to make 1,400 bags of MarinaTex, according to Hughes.
MarinaTex material in sheet form (via James Dyson Award)
“Plastic is an amazing material, and as a result, we have become too reliant on it as designers and engineers,” she said in a statement. “It makes no sense to me that we’re using plastic, an incredibly durable material, for products that have a life-cycle of less than a day.
“For me,” Hughes continued, “MarinaTex represents a commitment to material innovation and selection by incorporating sustainable, local, and circular values into design.”
It took more than 100 experiments with different organic marine binders to refine the material and process, most of which Hughes did on the kitchen stove in her student accommodation.
“The James Dyson Award received some thought-provoking ideas this year—and more female entrants than ever—making the judging very difficult,” inventor and prize namesake James Dyson said in a statement.
“Ultimately, we decided to pick the idea the world could least do without,” he continued. “MarinaTex elegantly solves two problems: the ubiquity of single-use plastic and fish waste.”
Additional research and development will help the product evolve.
“The invention is still in its infancy and I never thought it would make it to this stage, so it’s really encouraging to have the potential of the material acknowledged,” according to Hughes.
“I’m excited to now have the chance to undertake further research and development to explore all of the possible uses of MarinaTex, taking into account form, function, and its footprint,” she said.
As international winner of the James Dyson Award, Hughes will receive £30,000 ($39,000), while the University of Sussex receives £5,000 ($6,400).
More on Geek.com:
- Scientist Creates Bioplastic from Mango Peels, Seaweed
- These New Coca-Cola Bottles Are Made From Marine Plastic
- Fiber-Based Six-Pack Can Rings Offer Eco-Friendly Alternative to Plastic
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