Edible Water Bottles: The Future Of Packaged Water
Researchers suggest that a new development of edible water bottles might help to put an end to wasteful plastic packaging. Millions of water bottles are thrown away every year around the world and this development if successful might be huge in helping to decrease the amount of waste.
The development is called Ooho! And it is biodegradable, with a natural membrane that can be fully digested if swallowed. It is able to hydrate in the same way that drinking water can. It has been created using a seaweed extract that has no taste, but you can add flavors to it.
The company behind the development of the edible water bottle is Skipping Rocks Lab and it was founded by three design students from London who are looking to find sustainable solutions to world problems.
The Ooho edible water bottle spheres are created by dipping frozen balls into an algae mixture that then forms the edible membrane around the ice. The membrane eventually forms a watertight seal around the ice ball. When you want to consume the liquid you can choose to bite it and then sip the liquid out or you can eat the entire ball.
For these sphere water bottles there isn't any packaging or plastic needed, just as you see them they are ready to be consumed. The company behind them has established a crowdfunding page and they are looking to take the creation public, hoping to start selling within the next year.
A retail price hasn't been announced yet but it's reported that it only costs about 1 penny to make each sphere.
Pics:
HiConsumption
Metro
Sources:
http://bgr.com/2017/04/13/ooho-water-balls/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/04/12/edible-water-bottle-could-put-end-plastic-packaging/
http://metro.co.uk/2017/04/12/scientists-have-created-edible-water-balloons-that-could-get-rid-of-the-need-for-plastic-bottles-6569736/
https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/skipping-rocks-lab/pitches/qrrkzq#
I read about this on another post recently and there were some with concern on the hygiene. I share my "suggestion“ to load it up a contraception and feed to the marathon runners. Then I add on the comment after doing a search on youtube and found this:
I brought up an issue about the cleanliness factor on another post, it is something I haven't seen any attention paid to, and that would be a huge cause for concern with these water capsule things.
great point, i've seen it brought up in other discussions regarding this as well, no doubt it'll cross their mind to address that at some point lol if they want it to go far!
I agree ! People could be man handleing these spheres , they would have to be at least boxed or something to keep germs off of them , which would also need to be biodegradeable !👍👌
lol clever!
I guess, the term "eating water" will be a thing now ;)
I saw these a while back and thought it looked really cool. I would be eating water all day. :)
i wouldn't mind trying it!:)
I like the idea but I doubt this would work. It would break to easily is my thinking. And its not convenient to sip out of a ball over a cup. I could actually picture it get quite messy and run all over the hands. They would have to make it into a water bottle or something that you can hold. Doubt a ball is the answer.
Love this! I hope they can scale it to bigger bottles and containers too.
I love your picture
This is good article
I would definitely be down to try this! Very cool idea
I guess my bubbles went drowning 😂 or maybe somebody ate my blobs https://steemit.com/future/@mammasitta/how-will-we-drink-water-in-the-future-the-edible-blob-replaces-plastic-bottles-and-you-can-eat
The main issue I see with this is that they can't shape the algal container. If they could, this could easily replace water bottles! It's a great idea, though, and I hope something comes of it. There's so much single-use plastic waste generated that could be eliminated with brilliant ideas like this!
Thought we had already invented glass, what went wrong?
During the war years pretty decent water bottles were made, I still use my Dad's today for walking drinking water when walking in the park.