Development of the automated Ooho! Machine - reducing single use plastic packaging for <100ml liquids, condiments and cosmetics through seaweed alginate membrane

**NEED:** The UK throws away 35m plastic bottles and containers each year, only 32% of which is recycled. As developers of the Ooho - a unique, patented, natural membrane packaging derived and manufactured from seaweed extracts, our aim is to reduce and replace the use of plastic in single use packaging for liquids, sauces and gel sachets by the development, manufacture and roll-out of the technology.

**APPROACH:** Having perfected the strength, structure and shelf-life of our liquid membrane technology, we now need to develop the hardware machinery so that suppliers can produce and fill the membranes on site -- replacing current single-use plastic packaging for liquids (water, alcoholic shots), condiments (sauces, salad dressings), gels (energy gels) and cosmetics (shampoo, conditioner) <100mL.

**SIGNIFICANCE:** Our alginate material cheaper than plastic as input material however presently all Oohos are manufactured and filled semi-manually at our London HQ (100 per day), meaning that despite commercial interest, we are unable to meet demand or produce them on a cost-competitive manner. As part of our long-term growth strategy, our goal is to develop an automated machine (similar to a barista coffee machine) to produce Oohos at scale (3,000 per day) on a client site - either restaurant, takeaway, vending machine or in store - serving single-use liquids.

**FOCUS:** Working with partner Lucozade Ribena Suntory (energy drinks & gels) and Vita Mojo (sauces & salad dressings), the project focuses on overcoming the technical difficulties associated with designing and developing a unique, automated, customer machine to manufacture and fill 3000 Oohos per day, without compromising structural integrity or consistence, in high volumes with a variety of liquids (energy drinks, gels, sauces and salad dressings).

**OUTCOME:** Our alginate packaging is naturally sourced, biodegradable, robust (thanks to the previous IUK project) and is even edible. The only issue holding back its adoption is its manufacture, which we hope to address with this project, are we already have a number of high-profile early adopter lined up in our key markets.

In line with UK GOVs 'Plastic Pact' 2025 commitment, by developing manufacturing at scale capability, seaweed membrane will be cost-competitive with that of single-use plastic packaging, enabling retailers to replace plastic for single-use liquid items under 100ml. This in turn will save considerable CO2 in waste, reduced transport costs, plastic production and enable us to take advantage of global interest in the technology, spearheading the use of natural, plastic alternatives.