Plastic is truly becoming the bane of Earth's existence, and production of it shows no sign of stopping. Out of the plastic bottles consumed by humans, 91 percent of them are not recycled and ultimately end up in our oceans, harming the marine life and making the water toxic. To remedy this crisis, a new and potentially Earth-saving invention just might do the trick.
A London-based company called Ooho has created little blobs with liquid in them, while using no plastic whatsoever. These pods can have any liquid in them and the outer bubble is made entirely from plants. The secret to making this sustainable invention is by using seaweed. The seaweed membrane is taken to create tasteless, edible protection for any liquid inside of it for an all-natural alternative to plastic.
Despite having no taste, if eating the bubble is not desirable, people can easily just bit into the bubble and throw it away because it is biodegradable. If it is thrown away and not consumed, the pods will biodegrade in four to six weeks.
The pods don't just stop at water. The casing can be color and/or flavored, and any liquid can be put into the pod (even condiments like ketchup and mustard). Almost all liquids that once needed plastic containers to hold can be replaced with plant-based casing.
Ooho has made a creation that seems almost too good to be true; a biodegradable, plant-based and sustainable container for liquids to replace plastic containers is exactly what the world needs to see a decrease in the plastic waste generated by humans. Ooho is attempting to get their pods on to the standard market in the coming years, which could truly prompt citizens of waste-creating countries like the United States and China.
Currently, the world is on thin ice (literally) with the environment because of the wasteful habits and lack of recycling that people, especially in first world countries, are exhibiting.
To the people reading that are thinking that this invention is unlikely to be successful, my question to you is why not? This past year, it is safe to say that the world is finally becoming more aware of our plastic problem, as seen in the banning of plastic straws at Starbucks and plastic bags in Morocco. To many, changing a lifestyle used for decades seems improbable, but all it takes is a little action. Also, water blobs are so much cooler than water bottles.