About the Brand Next Door

There’s a theory that the best brands don’t feel discovered, they feel remembered. Like they were always meant to be part of your life, but just hadn’t shown up yet. That’s what this series is about: the brands that land softly but stay firmly, turning “oh that’s clever” into “how did I ever parent/travel/dress/live without this?”

Welcome to The Brand Next Door. A collection of thoughtful finds that made me:

✓ stop scrolling

✓ start smiling

✓ immediately send the link to a friend

This week’s find: Notpla

📍 Discovered on Instagram. I clicked on a video of a man holding an edible water bubble and never looked back.

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What started as a student experiment in a kitchen at Imperial College has now replaced over 21 million single-use plastic items across Europe. Their secret? Seaweed. Yes, seaweed.

Who’s behind it?

Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez – designer, systems thinker, Notpla’s co-founder
Pierre Paslier – packaging innovator, materials obsessive, co-founder

Together, they created Ooho (the edible bubble), won Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, and decided plastic packaging’s days were numbered.

What They Make

Disclaimer: All pictures are courtesy of Notpla

Ooho – The Edible Bubble

✓ Made entirely from seaweed
✓ Edible, biodegradable, and fun (think: water you bite into)
✓ Used at major events like the London Marathon and Tough Mudder
✓ Now adapted for energy gels

Seaweed-Coated Food Containers

✓ Structure: FSC-certified paper or bagasse
✓ Inside: patented seaweed lining (greaseproof, plastic-free, PFAS-free)
✓ Fully home-compostable and recyclable with paper
✓ Works with hot and cold food, microwaves, and warming cabinets
✓ Used by Just Eat, Compass Group, The O2, and more

Rigid Seaweed Cutlery

✓ World’s first seaweed-based ice cream spoon
✓ As strong as conventional cutlery — but disappears after use
✓ Winner of Sustainable Product Design at the PENTAWARDS

SeaView Collection

✓ Clear takeaway box windows made entirely from seaweed
✓ The first deli packaging where even the window is home-compostable
✓ Porsche HQ was the first to pilot it (because of course)

Food Oil Pipettes

✓ Used by Citizens of Soil for single-serve olive oil samples
✓ Fully compostable, elegant, and a serious upgrade from plastic tubs

Notpla Film (in development)

✓ Water-soluble seaweed-based film
✓ Designed to dissolve in hot or cold water
✓ A viable, plastic-free alternative to sauce sachets, detergent pods, and more

Why It Works (and Why I Care)

Most takeaway packaging has a dirty little secret: even the “sustainable” ones are often lined with plastic or bioplastics that need industrial composting. Notpla isn’t playing that game.

✅ Truly plastic-free – certified by the EU Single-Use Plastic Directive
✅ PFAS-free – no forever chemicals sneaking in
✅ Home compostable – disappears in your compost, just like a banana peel
✅ Performs under pressure – hot, greasy, microwave-ready

Their Life Cycle Assessment found a 70% drop in carbon emissions vs conventional plastic and even a 39% reduction compared to PLA-lined boxes.

Who’s Talking About It

💬 Just Eat – “We’re excited to launch plastic-free packaging across Europe.”
🏟 Levy at The O2 – “This is our biggest packaging switch yet.”
🚘 Porsche HQ – the first to trial Notpla’s seaweed window boxes in staff canteens
🫒 Citizens of Soil – launched the UK’s first single-serve olive oil pipette in Notpla packaging
📺 BBC Earthshot Prize – “A game-changing innovation for a plastic-free world”

The Rali Edit Take

This isn’t a cute side hustle or a greenwashed upgrade. This is a full-on system change. Notpla is redefining what packaging can be – regenerative, scalable, compostable, and actually beautiful.

And while the science is wild (we love a polymer breakthrough), the storytelling is even better. Whether they’re rolling out at the UEFA finals or replacing sample spoons at Ice Cream Union, Notpla doesn’t just solve problems. It makes plastic obsolete. One edible bubble or seaweed box at a time.

Why You Might Love It Too

You work in foodservice or events and want a compliance-safe, plastic-free upgrade
You’re a consumer tired of throwing “compostable” boxes in the trash
You want to try a water bubble that looks like something out of Black Mirror
You geek out over the circular economy and need a new sustainability crush

Plastic-free without compromise? Finally.
Seaweed for the win? Always.