Why seagrass is an effective replacement for fossil-based plastic

In this episode of Decoding Innovation, Malthe Larsen, CTO and Cofounder of Coastgrass, shares how bio-composite materials, such as seagrass, can be used for making climate-friendly plastic.

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Each year, millions of tons of fossil-based plastic are produced worldwide. A large majority of these nonbiodegradable plastics are not recycled and crop up as an enormous responsibility for the planet. With the advancement in technology and science, bio-based alternatives for conventionally used plastic have been emerging.

Coastgrass, a Danish company, is building such an alternative from seagrass. Seagrass, such as eelgrass and seaweed, is collected from beaches, cleaned and turned into pellets. These pellets will be primarily used for packaging design. As seagrass is an abundant resource and considered as an inconvenience to locals and authorities, it is easily available at a low cost. Besides, seagrass decomposing at beaches can lead to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

The advantages of seagrass are manifold. Its inherent qualities, such as heat resistance, make the fiber ideal for injection molding. Products made from seagrass can be used in packaging in cosmetics, luxury materials, furniture, home appliance and others. These products can be recycled and are environment friendly than their conventional plastic counterpart.

Key takeaways:

  • Even though seagrass is abundant, the cost of processing the fiber is high. The company is striving to streamline the process to increase the efficiency and bring down costs.
  • There are big possibilities for bio-based materials. But to fully realize and leverage its potential, there are a few legislation and infrastructure processes that need to be corrected.
  • New taxes, legislations and standards aimed at sustainable development will be an advantage for bio-based and biodegradable plastic in future. 

For your convenience, full text transcript of this podcast is also available. Read the transcript.

Presenters

Photographic portrait of Malthe Larsen
Malthe Larsen
CTO and Cofounder, Coastgrass

Podcast

Episode 20

Duration 28m 03s

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In this series

Series overview
(Event List - Manual)

Why seagrass is an effective replacement for fossil-based plastic

In this episode of Decoding Innovation, Malthe Larsen, CTO and Cofounder of Coastgrass, shares how bio-composite materials, such as seagrass, can be used for making climate-friendly plastic.
Podcast

Episode 20

Duration
28m 03s

Presenters

Malthe Larsen

CTO and Cofounder, Coastgrass

Why not all disruptive innovations are truly disruptive

In this episode of the Decoding innovation podcast series, Pete Foley, an independent consultant, shares his insights on how psychology and behavioral science can be applied as a catalyst for innovation.
Podcast

Episode 19

Duration
36m 41s

Presenters

Pete Foley

Founder, Pete Foley Innovation LLC

How circular economy acts as an enabler to build sustainable societies

In this episode of Decoding Innovation, Keiran Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Mr. Green Africa, discusses circular economy and how technology is changing the way plastic is recycled worldwide.
Podcast

Episode 18

Duration
39m 00s

Presenters

Keiran Smith

CEO and Co-Founder, Mr. Green Africa

Why a mindset shift matters for implementing circular economy

In this episode of the Decoding innovation podcast series, Helen Burdett, Head of Technology Strategy at the World Economic Forum, talks about circular economy as a vision for the future.
Podcast

Episode 17

Duration
29m 00s

Presenters

Helen Burdett

Head, Technology Strategy, World Economic Forum

How one startup is progressing toward commercialized nuclear fusion

In this episode of Decoding Innovation, Scott Krisiloff shares Helion Energy’s journey so far in creating electricity from nuclear fusion and the subsequent plans to commercialize this form of energy.
Podcast

Episode 16

Duration
24m 51s

Presenters

Scott Krisiloff

Chief Business Officer, Helion Energy

How high-pressure water stored underground may reshape energy storage

In this episode of the Decoding Innovation podcast, Quidnet Energy CEO Joe Zhou discusses the use of innovative geomechanical methods and its impact on the global energy industry.
Podcast

Episode 15

Duration
25m 56s

Presenters

Joe Zhou

CEO, Quidnet Energy

How the metaverse is planning to augment reality — not replace it

In this episode of the Decoding innovation podcast series, Mathieu Nouzareth explains how a community-driven platform is shaping the future of the metaverse.
Podcast

Episode 14

Duration
25m 44s

Presenters

Mathieu Nouzareth

Chief Business Officer, The Sandbox

What Industry 4.0 is all about: the progression from 1.0 to 4.0

In this episode of the Decoding innovation podcast series, Ajay Khaladkar discusses how the institute is helping companies transition to Industry 4.0.
Podcast

Episode 13

Duration
32m 47s

Presenters

Ajay Khaladkar

Former Technical Program Manager of Advanced Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 Solutions, Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology