Edible and Biodegradable Water Bottle Made Of Algae Developed By a Student

Producing plastic is one of the major adversaries of Mother Earth. Aside from causing non-biodegradable waste, the BPA (Bisphenol-A) substance can make it hazardous to human health. It also involves energy-intensive processes that use a lot of raw materials.

Good thing, a student in Iceland found and proposed a solution. He invented an edible and biodegradable water bottle made up of algae. And yes, it decomposes by itself.

According to a report by the organization Ban the Bottle, Americans alone produce a total of a billion plastic bottle wastes annually due to its low recycling rate. And if we add up the data worldwide, the result is more devastating.

Thanks to environment advocates like Ari Jonsson, we now have a water bottles alternative which is made of natural materials.

Student Ari Jonsson of the Iceland Academy of the Arts recently debuted his invention during the Reykjavik Design Festival last March.

"I read that 50 percent of plastic is used once and then thrown away, so I feel there is an urgent need to find ways to replace some of the unreal amount of plastic we make, use and throw away each day," Jonsson said in an interview with Dezeen.

His water bottles are made from red algae. After rigorous research for materials, he finally discovered a suitable substance called agar, which is harnessed from algae.

Agar is defined as a "gelatin-like product made primarily from the algae." It is known for its solidifying properties which make them a fitting aid in canning or storing of food and other products.

Agar first takes a jelly form and then later on hardens.