Green Concept Award

Green Concepts

Kelpi High-Barrier Coating

A seaweed-powered packaging solution

Winner in the Packaging Category 

Kelpi is on a mission to combat plastic pollution by reducing fossil fuel reliance, replacing traditional single-use plastics with innovative, seaweed-based materials. Applied as a coating to paper, card and other fibre substrates, ‘Kelpi High-Barrier Coating’ is designed to replicate the performance of plastic and is an ideal alternative for large FMCG organisations looking to reduce their plastic consumption. Incorporating natural bonds into the material’s chemistry, Kelpi's material is recyclable and biodegradable, breaking down completely in the environment ensuring no toxins or microplastics are left behind.

Jury Statement: Kelpi's unique coatings from seaweed feedstock will allow for recyclable and compostable packaging to replace single-use fossil fuel plastics that take hundreds of years to decompose.
It is applied as a coating to paper, cardboard and other fibre substrates and works perfectly as a barrier for food & drink, cosmetics, and personal care products.

Company/Institution
Kelpi
Kelpi is a UK based materials innovation start up, with the purpose of tackling the major issues of plastic pollution through the development of alternative materials made from seaweed and other natural feedstocks. Kelpi's material is applied as a coating, onto paper, card, and other fibre substrates and is therefore recyclable and fully biodegradable - leaving no microplastics or toxins behind. We are working with large FMCG brands and their packaging partners in the food & drink, cosmetics, and personal care sectors, helping to reduce their plastic packaging use.
Country
United Kingdom
Website
Kelpi
Designer(s)
Dr Stefanie Federle, Dr Georgios Gkotsis, Julia Maxwell, Dr Marco Piccini, Dr Ed Jones & Molly McCarthy
Dr Stefanie Federle, CSO; Dr Georgios Gkotsis, CTO; Julia Maxwell, Product Manager; Dr Marco Piccini, Senior Polymer Scientist; Dr Ed Jones, Principal Engineer; Molly McCarthy, Polymer Scientist Dr. Stefanie Federle leads the lab team comprising Dr. Marco Piccini and Molly McCarthy who focus on sustainable polymer synthesis, development and formulation. Dr. Georgios Gkotsis leads the product and engineering teams, comprising of Julia Maxwell and Jonny Needham focusing on material development and conversion methods, Dr. Ed Jones and Shreeya Rayani focusing on the industrialisation strategy for scale up, and Patricia Palomillo and Chara Chatzistefanou, who focus on product development, testing and quality control.
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