Biopolymer’s Secret is Seaweed

Seaweed-based alternatives to plastic packaging are making strides, most recently through a partnership between PA Consulting and Searo Labs to commercialize Searo’s proprietary seaweed-based material.

PA Consulting will focus on the scale-up and adoption of the biopolymer for packaging and product applications. Searo developed the seaweed technology and brings materials expertise and patented intellectual property to the project. Both companies are based in the United Kingdom.

Providing a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics, Searo’s seaweed-based biopolymer is safe for food contact and is home compostable. The biopolymer does not incorporate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

“We use FDA-approved, food-grade ingredients to make our materials, and we don’t chemically modify them,” says Ayça Dündar, cofounder of Searo Labs.

Packaging applications for Searo’s seaweed-based material range from food to personal-care and home-care items. Product applications include dissolvable shampoo sheets, detergent pods, and feminine-hygiene products.

“Searo materials can be engineered to incorporate a range of functional properties for different use cases. The naturally breathable properties of our materials allow moisture control in fresh food packaging, to extend shelf life by preventing mold forming,” Dündar explains.

Customers can fine-tune the film’s characteristics.

“Our formulation also allows us to add other texturizing, flavoring, or coloring additives to customize the material,” she adds.

To produce packaging materials, Searo Labs and PA Consulting developed a scalable manufacturing process using conventional machinery. Heat and extrusion form the seaweed-based biopolymer into thin film.

The company sources its seaweed from Selt Marine Group, a multinational farming and processing organization based in Tunisia. A variety of seaweed species can be used to make the biopolymer.

You'll find examples of product applications in the accompanying slideshow.

Read more about PA Consulting and seaweed-based alternatives to plastic packaging at PlasticsToday.