Remember a few weeks ago we put out a piece on changing our perspective on plastics?

Well plastic is jumping back into the headlines this week. The story is actually a bit fishy.

In a good way.

You see a lot of folks around the world depend on fish as their main source of protein. Ok “a lot” may be an understatement, it’s about 3 billion people.

There are many problems with the sustainability of our seafood consumption and the associated industries. One of the biggest issues is industry waste. Out of the total tonnage of fish we pull from the oceans each year, less than 50% actually gets consumed. There’s a lot of reasons for this and lots of creative minds working to solve the problem.

So what’s the solution?

One way to look at this is to try and find a use for some of the non-edible fish waste. That’s exactly what UK product designer Lucy Hughes did. Using discarded fish waste, things like scales, bones and skin, Hughes developed a biodegradable plastic called MarinaTex.

A strong flexible plastic-like material, MarinaTex biodegrades on its own after 4-6 weeks, making it more efficient than other bioplastics which require special machinery to compost. So unlike typical plastic, which can take over 1,000 years to degrade, MarinaTex products are completely gone in a mere 4-6 weeks.

The best part? One Atlantic codfish produces enough waste for 1,400 MarinaTex bags. 

Hughes’ project is a massive step in the right direction to solving two pervasive problems: the plight of single use plastics and the scourge of large scale fish waste. 

Lucy Hughes is an inspiration to us at Blue Door. She found a way to generate worth from waste, challenged the status quo and provided a creative solution that benefits everyone.

Lucy Hughes rocks.

We can’t wait to learn more about creative minds solving the world’s problems.

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