During a tour of the sustainable start-up’s headquarters by Notpla co-founders Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez and Pierre Paslier, Prince William participated in the creation of two innovative products: Notpla Rigid, which could one day replace disposable rigid plastic items, and Notpla Ooho, an edible liquid bubble made of seaweed membrane used to hydrate athletes at big sporting events.
The Prince also met key Notpla stakeholders, including three existing partners Bidfood, Bunzl and Just Eat Takeaway.com.
The Earthshot Prize-branded Notpla takeaway box
Less than six months after winning The Earthshot Prize for its plastic-free consumer packaging products made from seaweed and plants, the £1 million prize has allowed Notpla to expand its team adding 10 new hires, and to invest in new machinery to accelerate the injection moulding technology Prince William tested during the visit.
Momentum from The Earthshot Prize has also bolstered strong investor interest leading into the launch of Notpla’s series B round of investment. This next round of funding will support Notpla’s efforts to launch its ground-breaking coating material into the United States market.
“Winning The Earthshot Prize has been transformative for our business. We’ve established commercial relationships with some of the giants of the industry, our production has expanded, and we’ve added key hires to our team in order to help us accelerate our impact in restoring the health of our planet.
With new investment we will continue to grow and scale, transforming the packaging and food service industry and ensuring consumers have access to the plastic-free solutions that they’re demanding.”
Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, Notpla Co-Founder
The company plans to allocate further funding to the industrialisation and launch of its other product lines. Flexible, seaweed-based films will be the next application introduced on the market for packaging dry food, cosmetic and home care products without plastic.
Prince William met key partners and was shown the prototypes for the new Earthshot Prize-branded Notpla takeaway boxes that will go into production in June this year. These boxes, which are lined with natural Notpla Coating, represent a tremendous opportunity for Notpla to replace the two billion plastic-lined takeaway boxes that are used every year in Europe with a seaweed-coated alternative. The addition of The Eartshot Prize logo adds critical endorsement and enables businesses and customers to be confident they are making the most sustainable choice.
The visit from Prince William provided Notpla with an exciting opportunity to showcase the tremendous advancements they’ve made to accelerate industrial production and expand commercial partnerships for their plastic-free consumer packaging products in the few short months since winning the Prize. Most notably:
The Earthshot Prize team has also introduced Notpla to a vast network of partners and key decision-makers around the world, and offered tailored support to the company in a range of forms, including:
Learn more about our mission to build a world where the leftovers of one process become the raw materials of the next.
