Last month, at the end of a nine-month assessment process led by the Dutch Government, Notpla’s seaweed-based packaging was recognized as “plastic-free” as per the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive. To learn more about how the company achieved this certification, we had a conversation with its co-founder and co-CEO, Pierre-Yves Paslier.
Could you give us a brief introduction to Notpla and its products?
We are a company creating regenerative packaging made entirely from natural resources like seaweed and plants. Our mission is to provide sustainable alternatives to replace conventional plastic packaging, helping restore planetary health.
Earlier this month, the Dutch Government named Notpla’s seaweed-based packaging the ‘first and only’ plastic-free material. Could you give us an overview of this latest bit of news?
Notpla’s seaweed-based packaging was named the first and only plastic-free option by the Dutch Government. This came after intensive verification by the ILT, where Notpla was the only material out of thousands that met rigid plastic-free criteria under the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive.
By leveraging natural seaweed without chemical modifications, we’re providing businesses with a credible sustainable solution to reduce waste, avoid current plastic taxes, and be prepared for upcoming regulations.
I’d like to get into some more granular detail now. Can you walk us through the assessment/investigation process from start to finish? Did any challenges come up?
The assessment process was organic, one of our potential clients in the Netherlands put us in touch with the ILT as they wanted to buy our boxes to sell to their customers in the NL. We had an introductory call with the ILT who had some very specific questions about our materials and process.
This then continued over several months as they investigated our product and answers further. There were challenges in each of our respective interpretations of the definition, and being able to prove on a chemical level that our material is not chemically modified.
How can Notpla’s packs be recycled, and do their coatings affect this process in any way?
Our takeaway boxes can be recycled in standard paper streams, the seaweed coating does not have to be separated from the rest of the packaging as it does not affect the recycling process.
Could you elaborate on Notpla’s strategic partnership with Conpax? How did it come about, and what does it hope to achieve?
In partnering with packaging leader Conpax, we’re scaling our seaweed-coated food containers to businesses across Benelux starting in 2024. Together, we hope to replace over 15 million single-use plastics with our seaweed food containers.
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