At the 2019 London Marathon, runners ditched plastic bottles and grabbed Ooho—edible water pods made from seaweed. Over 30,000 pods were distributed, cutting down an estimated 200,000 single-use bottles in one event. The invention proved that hydration could be sustainable, fun, and waste-free.
Created by Notpla, a London startup founded by Imperial College London alumni, these pods are made from brown seaweed, one of the planet’s most renewable resources. The material naturally biodegrades within weeks, unlike plastic, which can take centuries.
“We want to make packaging disappear,” said Notpla’s founders during the marathon trial.
The reaction was overwhelming. Environmental groups and marathoners praised the idea, calling it a glimpse into a plastic-free future. Social media buzzed with videos of athletes popping water bubbles mid-race, sparking global interest.
The potential extends far beyond marathons. Notpla has already developed coatings for takeaway boxes, films for food delivery, and sachets for sauces—all designed to replace plastic at scale. If widely adopted, seaweed-based packaging could help slash the billions of bottles and wrappers clogging landfills and oceans every year.
What if your next meal delivery arrived in packaging you could eat—or compost in your garden? The future of sustainability might not be made of metal or glass, but of seaweed.
Sources: imperial.ac.uk