Company:MarinaTex
{{Infobox company | name = MarinaTex | industry = Fishing industry | founder = Lucy Hughes | website = https://www.marinatex.co.uk | location_country = United Kingdom MarinaTex is a bioplastic material designed to serve as an alternative to single-use plastic in a variety of applications.[1] It is translucent and stronger than LDPE plastic.[2] This biodegradable bioplastic is made from red algae and organic waste from the fishing industry. MarinaTex plastic takes between four and six weeks to decompose in a home compostable environment where the temperatures range between 41 and 79 °F (5 and 26 °C).[3]
Inspiration
MarinaTex was created by Lucy Hughes, product designer graduate from the University of Sussex, as a final year project.[4] Hughes's main inspiration came from the claim that "by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight,” and therefore, developed the interest to solve this problem. However, Hughes explains that her journey didn't start with the plastic problem, but by looking into the fishing industry.[5] An estimated 492,020 tonnes of fish waste are produced by the fish processing industry yearly in the UK and it is considered a huge and inefficient waste stream with low commercial value.[6] Therefore, Hughes developed this bioplastic that is made from materials that are usually thrown away.[7]
Design process
The development of the product began at MCB Seafoods, a fish-processing plant and wholesaler, where Hughes was able to identify a variety of waste streams to work with including offal, blood, crustacean and shellfish exoskeletons, and fish skins and scales. After some research, Hughes found that the fish skins and scales had the most potential due to their flexibility and strength-enabling proteins.[8]
By utilising open source resources, Hughes started investigating various organic binders from the sea such as chitosan and agar (from the agar red algae). However, it took multiple experiments before refining the material and process.
Hughes also highlights that the whole production process is relatively low-tech since it was made in her kitchen. Unlike some plastics that requires at least 150 °C (302 °F) in its production, MarinaTex uses temperatures below 100 °C (212 °F).[9]
Recognition
In 2019, Hughes received the James Dyson Award, which is given to design and engineering students who develop products that solve problems.[10]
References
- ↑ "MARINATEX" (in en-US). https://www.marinatex.co.uk/.
- ↑ "MarinaTex" (in en). https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/2019/project/marinatex/.
- ↑ (in en) MarinaTex - a bioplastic made from fish waste, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHKaChoCDW8, retrieved 2019-10-23
- ↑ "'I invented a plastic alternative from fish waste'". BBC. 14 November 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-50419047.
- ↑ "MarinaTex" (in en). https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/2019/project/marinatex/.
- ↑ correspondent, Rebecca Smithers Consumer affairs (2019-09-18). "Scaling back: graduate invents plastic alternative from fish waste" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/19/scaling-back-graduate-invents-plastic-alternative-from-fish-waste.
- ↑ "Marina Tex: A biodegradable plastic from fish algae and other fish waste-Industry Global News24". https://www.industryglobalnews24.com/marina-tex-a-biodegradable-plastic-from-fish-algae-and-other-fish-waste/.
- ↑ "About" (in en-US). https://www.marinatex.co.uk/about-3.
- ↑ "Saving the Fish, with Fish Waste: Interview with MarinaTex" (in en-US). 2019-10-14. https://www.beeco.green/blog/lucy-hughes-marinatex-interview/.
- ↑ Emily Matchar, "This Bioplastic Made From Fish Scales Just Won the James Dyson Award," Smithsonian, November 14, 2019.
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