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Journalism of Courage
Lucy Hughes from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom won the International James Dyson Award 2019 for finding a solution to marine bioplastic. The 24-year-old’s innovation will solve the problem of both single-use plastics and inefficient waste streams by harnessing fish waste to create a unique plastic alternative MarinaTex.
The bioplastic is made of organic fish waste like red algae. The algae is a translucent and flexible sheet material, making it ideal for applications in single-use packaging.
“While it may look and feel like plastic, its similarities end there. 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,” read the release.
The material is relatively resource-light, requiring little energy and temperatures under 100 degrees to produce. The 24-year-old winner said, “Plastic is an amazing material, and as a result, we have become too reliant on it as designers and engineers. It makes no sense to me that we are using plastic, an incredibly durable material, for products that have a life-cycle of less than a day.”
“For me, MarinaTex represents a commitment to material innovation and selection by incorporating sustainable, local and circular values into design,” she said. The winner received an award of £30,000.
Anna Bernbaum from Dyson School, Imperial College London (UK) won the second prize followed by Ryan Tilley, RMIT University, Sydney, Australia.
