Created by Munich-based multidisciplinary designer Felix Poettinger in collaboration with Tesco Labs and Microsoft Research Cambridge, POC is a concept material made from seagrass that serves as a sustainable and biodegradable alternative to plastic packaging.
Featuring antibacterial properties, POC packaging is designed to extend the freshness of produce. In effect, POC packaging has the potential to radically reduce food waste. According to RESET, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally each year.
POC is created by bounding dried seagrass fibre together using cellulose-based extract before being pressed into a metal mould and baked to dry. The seagrass used for POC is in fact already dead and sourced from the beaches of the Mediterranean coast, ensuring that no industrial harvesting is required that may damage the ecosystem.
“This project is about building links across disciplines to bring together expertise and promote the power of design and its role in society,” Pöttinger explains. “The outcome should react to the problems and threats of our society and our relationship with food.”
All images in this article are courtesy of Felix Poettinger.
