Great design made to not last

University of Sussex student Lucy Hughes, 24, has invented an award-winning plastic alternative made of organic marine waste.

The winner of the James Dyson Award 2019, her invention, MarinaTex, is a bioplastic made of organic fish waste ordinarily destined for landfill.

It looks and feels like plastic but there the similarities end. Using a unique formula of red algae to bind the proteins extracted from fish waste, MarinaTex has strong overlapping bonds giving it strength and flexibility. It also biodegrades after four to six weeks, is suitable for home composting and does not leach toxins.

According to Hughes, one Atlantic cod could generate as much organic waste as is needed for making 1400 bags of MarinaTex. Turn to page 49 to read about what Kiwi scientists are doing with marine waste in the name of beauty.