We do not want to demonise plastic. Plastic is a fantastic material for certain applications that require its very unique specifications. Plastic helps us save lives in hospital, travel, work, deliver goods all over the world and live our day to day life. Plastic is extremely resistant to time, temperatures weather conditions and this is a great advantage for many applications.
Open the world's eyes to
possibilities beyond plastic
“The packaging of the future is born in nature,
serves its purpose, and returns to nature
in a harmless way”
Yet, the majority of plastic and packaging is single-use, only meant to be used once and then discarded, often ending up in the oceans and water systems around the world. A series of questions therefore arises: why would a product, which only serves its purpose in one specific moment, need to last forever? Why should the packaging of a product last hundreds if not thousands of years more than the product itself? Afterall, plastic is made of oil and, despicably, our modern economy depends on oil. But oil being such a scarce resource, why waste it in such a futile way? Plastic’s greatest strength is therefore also its greatest weakness: its durability.
We want to innovate and change the way we see and use plastics. At FlexSea we believe the packaging of the future to be a packaging that is born in nature, serves its purpose, and returns to nature in a harmless way. A packaging that is built to exist, protect and preserve its contents only for the duration that these exist for.
WHY SEEWEED?
We passionately believe that seaweed-derived bioplastics, such as FlexSea, are the future of bioplastics.
Exceptionally fast growth
A seaweed plant can grow up to 1 metre a day! It grows throughout the year. An entire cultivation cycle for FlexSea takes as little as 45 days – sugar cane takes over a year, and corn and beetroot many months.
No competition with food crops
Sugarcane, corn, beetroot, and potatoes are very chemical and labour intensive.
Seaweed is very low maintenance: it can be grown intensively in high density configurations and requires no pesticides, fertilisers or special care. It basically grows on its own, quickly and efficiently!
No freshwater required
A seaweed plant can grow up to 1 metre a day! It grows throughout the year. An entire cultivation cycle for FlexSea takes as little as 45 days – sugar cane takes over a year, and corn and beetroot many months.
No harm to biodiversity or habitats
The creation of arable fields for terrestrial produce destroys habitats and exacerbates deforestation.
No habitats are destroyed in the creation of seaweed farms. Seaweed farms provide stable protected areas that promote the formation of ecosystems and habitats that favour biodiversity, whilst protecting coasts from harsh waves and erosion.
No pesticides or special care required
Current bioplastics compete with arable land. Starch bioplastics are most commonly made of corn, potatoes, beetroot or sugarcane. These compete with food crops and are food crops themselves. Oceans are vast sources of untapped yet sustainable resources: seaweed production is not thought to have a practical limit.
No harmful byproducts
Harmful chemicals are not required in processing the seaweed – unlike with many terrestrial alternatives.
The waste material can be converted into fertiliser, animal feed, or biofuel. Nothing is lost in the process and all value created throughout the seaweed’s lifetime is redistributed to nature in all stages of FlexSea’s lifecycle.
CO² sequestration
200million tons of carbon dioxide are sequestered by marine algae every year, which makes our resource not only sustainable but also carbon negative and helpful to the global goals to reduce greenhouse gases (seaweed carbon sink)
Opportunities for local communities
Seaweed farming has contributed to improving the socioeconomic conditions of thousands of coastal communities in developing countries throughout the world. With the income of the seaweed sales, farmers see an increase in their living standards, can send their children to school and much more. The farming activity has an especially remarkable positive impact on socioeconomic status of female farmers
The true lungs of the earth
While the Amazon rainforest accounts for 7% of oxygen production while the ocean flora carries the photosynthesis board with 85% of our breathable oxygen. Preserving our Oceans is a vital need for literally everyone on our planet.
FLEXSEA X other solutions
Aren’t there many bioplastics already?
Where the recycling system fails to address even a significant portion of plastic waste, the most rational way to move forward with the plastic pollution issue is to explore alternative solutions.
Traditional bioplastic production results in even greater pollutant emissions than petroleum-based plastic. This is because growing the crops required to act as a base for these bioplastics have intensive growth requirements, that over-use dangerous pesticides and chemical fertilisers, depleting the soil over time and occupying valuable arable land. These crops then also need to be heavily processed with chemicals in order to turn them into usable polymers.
"Bioplastic does not mean biodegradable"
Even the so called “compostable” bioplastics often require high temperature industrial composting facilities which are not widespread. They are also visibly similar to traditional plastic, meaning that consumers confuse them and throw them in the plastic recycling. However, bioplastics and traditional plastic cannot be recycled together, meaning that entire plastic recycling batches are contaminated and need to be thrown away.
FlexSea‘s use of seaweed as raw material for bioplastic production is revolutionary as it doesn’t require pesticides, fertilisers, land or freshwater, thus having a near-zero ecological and environmental impact throughout its life-cycle, whilst seaweed farming preserves ecosystems, protects coasts from erosion and sustains local economies.
“Anything is biodegradable if you think in a 1000 year span, we prefer using the terms 'biobased" and "home-compostable”
What drives us to change
the world of packaging
FlexSea aims at creating jobs in every community in the entire value chain, as well as pushing for the development of the seaweed industry which could provide new sources of revenues in certain coastal areas of the world.
By developing a novel solution and alternative to single-use plastics, FlexSea can have a major impact on plastic pollution in all its forms. From toxic waste leaching from plastics in the oceans and landfills, to micro-plastics nefarious effects in the whole food chain – including us, we aim at making the world a safer place for all species.
While our main goal is environmental, it is crucial to point out to economic crisis caused by single-use plastics and waste in general. For instance, the recollection alone of plastics that is dumped in the environment represents a $72bn bill every year, while the amount of plastic lost after its use is worth $120bn per annum. Sustainable growth will be possible with renewable resources and by implementing circular processes in the value chain.
FlexSea can only exist thanks to its innovative nature. That includes the resource we use, the process we develop and the product we offer. We create a new solution to the plastics industry but also aim at remodelling the value chain by implementing innovative business ideas, sustainable processes and circular economies for everyone everywhere.
By engaging local communities in the value chain and eliminating waste, we develop a responsible environment where the end customer is incentivised and educated on how to consume more responsibly from sustainable industries. Hence they becomes an active member of both economic traction and global change.
No waste, less pollution, low energy-consuming process, and carbon-negative raw material. The list goes on. FlexSea is not just a seamless solution for the consumer but a global project for a greener future.
FlexSea’s raw material – seaweed – is readily cultivated in many places around the globe. These seaweed farms attract a high degree of biodiversity and provide shelter for smaller fish and calm water bodies, which in turn attract bigger fish and other marine life. Additionally, FlexSea also has a major impact on land by reducing the quantity of plastic that land fauna is exposed to and it may eat – a success above and below the water!