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“Seaweed is the most generous material on Earth”

Episode One in our Climate Tech series

Video: Ben Suliteanu

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What if the solution to the ocean plastic problem is in the ocean? Julia Marsh of Sway Seaweed Packaging believes it is. Find out why in the first short film in our Climate Tech series.

seaweed alternative to plastic packaging

Watch the video

Let’s be honest. Plastic is on the out. It’s overflowing out of landfills and washing up on our shores. While plastic is a super useful material that has helped build the modern world. The problem is, it often outlives its intended use by thousands of years.

Enter Julia Marsh and Matt Mayes, co-founders of Sway Seaweed Packaging. Growing up with a deep connection to the ocean near Monterey, California, Julia has always marveled at the generosity and abundance of the ocean.

Seaweed is a resource that requires no arable land and freshwater to produce. It grows quickly, sequesters carbon, and is strong and flexible. Recognizing its unique properties, Julia and Matt have developed a biopolymer that can serve as a substitute for plastic packaging.

Their innovation is already used to package fashion products, offering a more sustainable alternative for the clear plastic windows that let you see inside the pack. The best part? The materials are 100% compostable, even in home compost settings, so they only last as long as they’re needed and then go back to nourishing the Earth.

Watch the full video on YouTube.

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