Notpla

About Notpla

Notpla, short for 'not plastic', is a London-based company developing advanced packaging materials from seaweed and plants as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. The company was founded in 2014 by Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez and Pierre Paslier, who met while studying Innovation Design Engineering at Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. Gonzalez, with a background in architecture and industrial design, and Paslier, a former packaging engineer for L'Oréal, combined their expertise to address the environmental impact of plastic waste. The initial concept for their first product, Ooho, originated from a student project in 2013 and experiments in their kitchen. Notpla's core business revolves around creating materials that are naturally biodegradable and home-compostable, aiming to mimic the lifecycle of a piece of fruit. The company's business model includes direct sales of its packaging products, partnerships with major brands, and plans to lease machinery to businesses for on-site production. Its client base spans various sectors, including the food and beverage industry, cosmetics, and large-scale events. Key partners have included Just Eat Takeaway.com, Lucozade, and Levy UK, supplying packaging for major events like the London Marathon and the UEFA Women's Euro Final. The product portfolio is diverse and includes several key innovations. 'Ooho' is an edible, flexible sachet for liquids, famously used at sporting events to replace plastic bottles and cups. 'Notpla Coating' provides a waterproof and grease-proof barrier for cardboard takeaway containers, making the entire package biodegradable and recyclable. The company also produces 'Notpla Paper', made from 30% seaweed by-product, 'Notpla Film' for sachets, and is developing rigid materials for items like cutlery. These materials are recognized as plastic-free under the EU's Single-Use Plastics Directive. Significant milestones for the company include winning the Earthshot Prize in 2022, which provided £1 million in prize money for R&D and scaling production. Notpla secured a £10 million Series A funding round in 2020 and a €23 million Series A+ round to expand into the US market. By 2023, the company had replaced over 4.4 million single-use plastic units and has since surpassed 40 million units replaced. The company operates as a certified B Corporation, underscoring its commitment to social and environmental standards.