What does it do?
Notpla is a British start-up company that has developed seaweed and other plant-based, fully biodegradable alternatives to plastics for packaging and other applications. It calls this “disappearing packaging”. In 2022 it won one of the Earthshot Prize environmental awards instigated by Prince William, and late last year featured on a documentary on BBC TV that followed some of the prize winners. Notpla had won the ‘Build a Waste-free World’ prize of £1m.
The company was founded by Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez. They met while studying Innovation Design Engineering at Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, where in 2013 they developed Ooho, a seaweed-based edible container for single-shot drinks or sauces. They described seaweed as “a miracle crop possessing all the necessary qualities for natural packaging, it’s incredibly flexible and strong, provides a natural barrier and – most importantly – the ability to take on new shapes.”
They set up Notpla in 2019 in Hackney Wick, east London, where they have developed further products from seaweeds and plants. They stress that this is not a ‘bioplastic’, such as PLA (polylactic acid), saying: “We share similar status with natural organic materials, just like a fruit peel.”
Notpla quotes estimates that all single-use plastics could be replaced by farming and harvesting seaweed from just 0.066% of the total ocean space – mainly around coastlines for obvious practical reasons.
The product range so far includes Notpla Coating, for fully biodegradeable takeaway food containers; Notpla Paper, using leftover seaweed fibres; Notpla Film for flexible packaging; Notpla Rigid, an injection mouldable material for cutlery and the like; Notpla Pipette for single-serve edible oils; Notpla Pearls single-dose spheres; and the original Ooho edible capsules (pictured at top of p91).
Here we’re looking at two of the products with relevance to printing and packaging: a series of water and greaseproof coated cardboard food containers, and the range of printable papers.
Coated board food containers
When was it introduced and what are the target markets?
“The range has been commercially available since 2022 and is aimed at the food service industry, including takeaway restaurants, catering businesses, and event catering,” says Niall Russell, Notpla’s head of marketing. “Over 15m units have been used to date, to replace single-use plastics and we expect to replace another 100m in 2025.”
The containers are folded and glued trays, some with lids, that can be used in place of the now-banned expanded foam trays, or cardboard trays with laminated plastic barriers. The packs are fully approved for food-contact and offer an oil barrier function that Notpla claims outperforms plastic in most applications.
“Most takeaway food packaging relies on chemical or bioplastic linings, which prevent recycling and can take years to break down, leaching forever-chemicals and microplastics into nature,” says Russell. “Notpla’s coated board provides the same grease and moisture resistance but is plastic-free, biodegradable, and home-compostable. It can be used in the same way as existing coated boards in the market, manufactured and converted in existing industry facilities.
Notpla’s coated board complies with European EC 1935/2004 and US FDA 21CFR176.170 regulations for food contact materials. As with any food packaging, virgin fibres rather than recycled are a necessity. The boards are FSC-certified and comply with EN 13430 (recyclability) and BPI Industrial Compostability (US).
After nine months testing, the Dutch government acknowledged Notpla Coating as the first and, so far, only plastic-free material to meet the strict EU Single-Use Plastics Directive standards.
Recycling or composting
The boxes are recyclable through standard paper recycling streams if free of excessive food contamination. They are also home-compostable in four to six weeks, or industrially compostable.
Even without active composting, discarded packs break down in nature, leaving no microplastics or harmful residues. “We call it ‘guilt-free disposal,’ which is helpful for businesses and consumers when waste management is inconsistent,” says Russell.
Production and ordering
The food packs are printed, cut, creased, glued and assembled by Coveris, which specialises in environmentally responsible packaging. Containers are supplied ready-assembled and nested together ready for use.
Any printing uses water-based inks and tends to be fairly simple one or two-colour designs. “Notpla’s printing guidelines prioritise low-impact printing, which means full-colour printing is not typically offered,” says Russell. “We do produce some low-impact colour designs, for example with Just Eat, and our in-house design team is exploring print techniques to reduce ink quantities without compromising on print coverage.”
Russell says that, in use, containers are mostly hand-filled at retail food outlets, although some customers use mechanical filling lines. Notpla has a partnership with Just Eat for the large-scale launch of takeaway food boxes. Last year it signed a three-year contract with Levy UK and Ireland to supply containers to more than 50 sporting venues.
So far, the coated board is not available to other commercial converters and printers, but Russell says this may happen. “Currently, Notpla supplies pre-cut, formed boxes, however as we expand and scale, we have plans for supplying coated board as roll stock or blanks.”
What’s the USP?
Russell says: “Unlike aqueous coatings and PLA-lined boxes, Notpla’s coating contains no plastic, synthetic materials or chemically modified materials. It is home-compostable and breaks down in four to six weeks, leaving no microplastics. It can also be processed in paper recycling streams.
“The coating is made from seaweed, one of nature’s most renewable resources, which requires no land or fresh water to grow.”
How is it sold and distributed?
“Notpla primarily sells through food-service distributors and delivery service providers rather than directly to end-users, though we do have a D2C shop,” says Russell.
“Expansion into new markets, including the US, is ongoing.”
The containers are already widely used across the world, he says “Major customers include Just Eat in 10 countries and Uber Eats. Notpla’s packaging is sold by many distributors to supply numerous customers, for example the offices of Bloomberg, JP Morgan and the Royal Bank of Canada.”
Ocean paper
What is it?
It is a ‘natural’, uncoated paper made from recycled pulp with about 30% of waste seaweed fibres. This gives it a textured finish with flecks of seaweed appearing in multiple shades of green. It is manufactured for Notpla by a mill that it doesn’t want to identify.
“The seaweed’s primary function is aesthetic, but of course reduces wood pulp requirements, making it a lower impact product,” says Russell. “It also enables us to utilise waste fibres from the seaweed extraction process used to create other Notpla materials.”
When was it launched and what are the target markets?
“Notpla Paper was launched in 2021. Its target markets are premium secondary packaging applications, eg mailers, boxes, greeting cards, bags, etc,” says Russell.
This paper is distributed and sold via GF Smith and can be ordered online. The GF Smith description includes: “The sheet is visually distinct, tactile, fully printable, and converts beautifully – meaning it’s relevant to many secondary packaging applications.”
Grades and printability
It’s available in sheets of 140, 280 or 350gsm in either A4 or B1 sizes. HP Indigo-compatible grades with Sapphire coating are available in 140 or 280gsm in SRA3+ 460x320mm sheets. Popular envelope sizes from C6 to DL are offered for trade orders.
Apart from the Indigo-coated grades, the standard paper is suited to litho, laser, inkjet and letterpress, as well as blind or foiled stamping and embossing. Russell says that reels are available too, details on application.
What’s the USP?
“Unique aesthetic, natural paper, circular solution,” says Russell.
What does it cost?
Trade prices are on application, but as a guide the online consumer prices are £43 for 100 A4 sheets of 140gsm, or £292 for 100 B1 sheets. Minimum trade orders are 25 sheets, or 50 for HP Indigo.
SPECIFICATIONS
Food containers
Board types White or brown kraft
Formats Straight or curved trays in a range of sizes and shapes (eg for burgers or hot dogs), some with integral lids. Custom formats can be ordered.
Contact Notpla www.notpla.com
Seaweed paper
Content Recycled cellulose pulp with 30% seaweed fibres
Appearance Matt off-white, textured, green flecks
Options HP Indigo Sapphire coating
Weights 140, 280, 350gsm (HP Indigo 140 or 280gsm only)
Sizes A5, A4, B1 sheets, SRA3+ for HP Indigo, C6 to DL envelopes
Contact GF Smith 01482 323503 shop.gfsmith.com/notpla
ALTERNATIVES
Containers
A single-use plastics ban for food containers, cups and disposable cutlery was implemented in the UK in October 2023. This has seen a return to recyclable coated cardboard for many containers. Water and grease proofing barrier coatings are commonly PLA (polylactic acid), an industrial bioplastic, derived from plants. However this is chemically modified and still counts as a single-use plastic by some definitions. It can still take many years to disappear and production competes with food plants for farming space.
Notpla pitches itself as an alternative to PLA. It biodegrades very fast and it does not need terrestrial land or fresh water to grow the crop.
Seaweed paper
Although plastic-free and biodegradable, the seaweed paper is likely to be chosen mainly for its distinctive appearance. As such it will be among a large choice of ‘creative’ papers available from merchants for stationery and packaging, some of which have similar ecological credentials.
