A UK student created a bioplastic from fish that breaks down in 6 weeks

This 2-minute video is from the “Ways to Change the World” series from the World Economic Forum.

This new bioplastic was created by UK student Lucy Hughes and is made from fishing waste, such as fish scales and algae. It’s called MarinaTex and this year it won the International James Dyson Award 2019.

MarinaTex doesn’t leach toxins into the environment, it’s stronger than a standard plastic bag, can be used in a variety of packaging and can even be eaten. The waste from one Atlantic Cod can produce 1,400 bags.

23-year-old Lucy was studying product design at the University of Sussex when she started the project as a way to tackle waste in the fishing industry, which produces 50 million tonnes of fishy by-products every year. Lucy hopes MarinaTex could replace much of the world’s single-use plastic.