Notpla supplies Imperial College with seaweed-based foodservice packaging

Notpla has supplied Imperial College London, UK, with its seaweed-based, home compostable foodservice packaging, marking a full circle moment for the company, whose founders began researching single-use plastic alternatives at the college.

Pierre Paslier, co-founder and co-CEO at Notpla, says: “To see our packaging being used at Imperial, where the journey began for us, is incredibly meaningful. It shows how universities can lead by example — supporting innovation, closing the loop, and educating the next generation at the same time.”

Notpla’s packaging will be used at Imperial’s campus food and drink outlets. The collaboration is part of the university’s Sustainable Imperial Strategy, which was set up to deliver evidence-based solutions to tackle climate change and single-use plastic pollution.

Hugh Brady, Imperial’s president, says: “Notpla represents the power of science and enterprise to provide solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems — in this case by helping businesses to replace millions of pieces of single-use plastic.”

“It’s a proud moment to see Notpla go full circle from students with big ideas, to entrepreneurs scaling their business in our ecosystem, to being suppliers in our own sustainability efforts on campus.” 

The collaboration is a “natural fit” for the university, whose strategies to reduce packaging waste include its Science for Humanity strategy in 2024 and its Sustainable Food and Drink Policy 2026–2031. 

Expanding seaweed packaging 

Notpla explains that its packaging can help address concerns on university campuses surrounding the presence of microplastics and PFAS, which can leach into food from conventional plastic-lined takeaway packaging. 

Since its inception in 2014, the start-up has made several major collaborations and investments to help scale its technology.

In 2024, it secured £20 million (US$26 million) in a Series A+ fundraising round, surpassing its initial target. With the investment, the company expected to replace over 100 million single-use plastics annually within two years and aimed to use the funding to expand in the US.

Additionally, Citizens of Soil has released edible packaging for its extra-virgin olive oil, made with Notpla’s seaweed-based material. The product is marketed as natural, biodegradable, home-compostable, and vegan.

Most recently, Allianz Stadium in London, UK, became the first in the country to adopt Notpla’s compostable material for a rugby-ball-shaped drinks carrier.