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Manila Bulletin devider devider Plastic made from fish skin, algae could end single-use plastic waste

Plastic made from fish skin, algae could end single-use plastic waste

Published Nov 15, 2019 01:31 am
By Gabriela Baron A designer from the United Kingdom may have found the solution to end the waste of single-use plastic. MarinaTex (Photo courtesy of jamesdysonaward.org / MANILA BULLETIN) MarinaTex (Photo courtesy of jamesdysonaward.org / MANILA BULLETIN) The material, known as MarinaTex, is a clear, flexible biodegradable plastic made from algae and fish waste. It is designed to replace single-use plastics like plastic bags and food packaging. The bioplastic is made out of agar - a substance found in red alage and fish skin and scales left over from the commercial fishing industry. Both organic materials combine to create a "plastic" that is completely biodegradable. The fish skin contains strong but flexible protein and the agar works as a binding agent to gel the material together. MarinaTex bagged the $35,000 top prize in the James Dyson Award. "Plastic is an amazing material, and as a result, we have become too reliant on it as designer and engineers. It makes no sense to me that we're using plastic, and incredibly durable material, for products that have a life-cycle of less than a day," said MarinaTex designer Lucy Hughes.
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