Kelpi wins through to final of global bioplastic innovation competition
Kelpi is today unveiled as one of 8 finalists in the world’s most prestigious plastic innovation competition. Recognising Kelpi as a global leader in marine-safe bioplastics, this accolade will open up collaboration with some of the world’s leading fashion brands to eliminate fossil fuel plastic packaging and usher in a new era of low-carbon, biodegradable alternatives from renewable biomass.
American fashion designer and film director Tom Ford and Dr. Dune Ives, CEO of Lonely Whale revealed Kelpi as a finalist for the TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize, the only global competition focused exclusively on creating scalable and biologically degradable alternatives to thin-film plastic polybags.
“What we accomplish together through this competition will catalyze global change across continents, countries and industries, which is urgently needed to address plastic pollution,” said Ford. “If the ocean is polluted and in danger, then so is the planet and so are we. The impact these brilliant minds and their creations will have on our planet is monumental, bringing us their innovative solutions to making the environment a safer place for generations to come. I am pleased to announce the finalists, whom we celebrate today for their exceptional alternatives to thin-film plastic polybags:”
Kelpi is one of eight global finalists, selected from 64 applications from 26 countries and 6 continents, which underwent rigorous review by the Scientific & Technical Advisory Board and Prize Judging Panel. Kelpi is one of three finalists from the UK, alongside others from Iceland, Canada, USA, India and Kenya.
The finalists now enter a year-long material testing phase that is sponsored by Nike, to test biological degradation, ensure their materials minimize negative social and environmental impacts, meet industry performance standards, and are also cost-competitive, scalable and market-ready by 2025.
Finalists’ materials will also be tested by major brands including Nike, Stella McCartney, J. Crew, Florence Marine X, HP Inc.,Vuori, and TOM FORD International.
Two-time world championship surfer John John Florence, one of the Prize Judges, welcomed Kelpi’s achievement: “I’m happy to announce that Kelpi is a finalist for the TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize.”
The TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize offers a purse totalling more than $1.2 million. Winners will be announced in Spring 2023, and Prize winners will receive significant support from Lonely Whale and other partners in the following years to achieve market adoption.
“The ambition of this Prize is unparalleled and is poised to claim the largest commercial shift away from non-recyclable thin-film plastic,” said Dr. Ives. “We’ve long believed that the solutions to the plastic waste crisis exist, and by working together we can ensure a future free from plastic in the ocean.”
Every year, an estimated 180 billion thin-film plastic polybags are used by the fashion industry. Thin-film plastic pollutes the ocean, making up an estimated 46% of the nearly 14 million metric tons of new plastic that enters the ocean annually.