In the United Kingdom, a biodegradable plastic made from fish waste has won the 2019 James Dyson Award. Dubbed Marina Tex, the bioplastic is made from red algae and other fishing industry byproducts. According to inventor Lucy Hughes, Marina Text can replace single-use plastics.
“Unlike some other bioplastics which needs special infrastructure and higher temperatures, this material will biodegrade in kind of lower temperatures, which can be achieved in, kind of, home compost bins,” Lucy Hughes, a design graduate of the University of Sussex, tells Industry Global News.
Marina Tex is also approximately the same cost to produce as the incumbent material, reflecting the design award’s emphasis that the solutions be cost-effective.