Grant awarded for circular seaweed packaging solution

Aimed at transforming the personal care industry, the initiative will introduce a circular packaging solution that will provide skincare brands with a fully recyclable and compostable alternative to traditional fossil-based plastic packaging.

Partnering with WMG, University of Warwick, Sustainable Packaging Technologies will lead efforts to commercialise the seaweed biopolymer material developed by FlexSea.

In a statement, James Nelson, business development manager at Sustainable Packaging Technologies, said: “We see significant potential in FlexSea’s technology within the personal care industry, and we’re eager about the opportunity it provides to expand our portfolio with more sustainable, bio-based truly home compostable packaging solutions.”

Thanks to seaweed’s high nitrogen content, it is believed that FlexSea’s material provides sustainable packaging and enriches soil health during natural decomposition. Depending on the thickness of the final part, the material biodegrades within weeks in marine and terrestrial environments, leaving no harmful residues. In addition, its production requires no strong chemicals or high temperatures over 150ºC, and uses renewable ingredients, producing only water vapour as a by-product.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Sustainable Packaging Technologies and Flexsea to accelerate the growth of biobased packaging solutions, using the prestigious Innovate UK SMART grant funding. Our expertise in polymer processing and material characterisation will help to expedite these novel biomaterials to the personal care packaging market,” said Ton Peijs, Professor of Polymer Engineering at WMG.

The grant follows the recent launch of Sustainable Packaging Technologies under the 2M Group in June 2024. As an intermediary between R&D material science companies, converters, and brands, the business collaborates with SMEs like FlexSea to develop custom bio-based technology solutions tailored to their specific packaging needs. 

“This marks the second Innovate UK SMART grant awarded to 2M Group, following its win supporting material science company, Xampla, and the expansion of its manufacturing capabilities in Milton Keynes,” said Nelson. “Our partnership with FlexSea comes at an opportune time as more individuals and businesses look to reduce single-use plastics.”

In a separate development, Xampla and the Quadram Institute have been awarded Innovate UK and BBSRC grant funding to advance probiotic microencapsulation technology.

The grant will see Xampla and the Quadram Institute, a food and health research centre, collaborate on developing probiotic microcapsules aimed at improving gut health.