Californian brand Whatrr claims its water bottle biodegrades at 85.5% rate in 3.5 years

27 Aug 2024 --- Los Angeles-based biodegradable water bottle brand Whatrr has been found to achieve 85.5% biodegradation in 3.5 years through ASTM D5511 testing. 

The rate is claimed to be over 100 times faster than traditional alternatives like plastic, aluminum, glass and paper cartons.

Recently launched this summer in partnership with organic grocer Erewhon, the biodegradable bottles are available at all 10 Erewhon locations across Los Angeles and online at Whatrr’s webshop. 

The bottles are BPA-free, non-toxic and reusable, crafted with bamboo and sugarcane pulp on the outside and a biodegradable green barrier inside.

“We’re not just creating a product. We’re igniting a movement,” says Steven Luis Howell, founder and CEO of Whatrr.

“Our bottles are designed to disappear where they’re supposed to, in landfills, solving the bottle pollution problem once and for all. I want every consumer to feel empowered knowing a better bottle choice is available to them, one that can make the world a better place one bottle at a time.”

Whatrr plans to announce new retail partnerships in the coming months.

Biodegradable packaging advances 

In other biodegradable material advances this month, PA Consulting is collaborating with sustainable materials company Searo Labs to develop and scale seaweed-based products, offering eco-friendly alternatives to plastic and single-use packaging.

Working with sustainably sourced biodegradable biopolymers, Sulapac and FaiveleyTech unveiled marble-like finishing for cosmetic packaging. Each piece’s marbling pattern is unique through its manufacturing process, “reflecting exclusivity and elegance.”

In a “landmark move” for the fast-food industry this summer, McDonald’s largest independent franchisee Arcos Dorados Holdings began equipping its food packaging with a 100% biodegradable barrier compound made with Janus technology by J&J Green Paper as a PFAS alternative.