Harrow Half Marathon replaces plastic water bottles with edible sachets

Participants of the Harrow Half Marathon in London yesterday received water packaged in edible seaweed pouches instead of PET bottles.

Organisers say in its ambition to be the first ‘plastics-free half marathon’, it replaced conventional plastic bottles at water stations along the route with ‘OOHO’, the brand name for the biodegradable and edible sachets made from a 100 per cent plant and seaweed-based membrane.

Skipping Rocks Lab, the London-based start-up behind OOHO, says it has focused on creating edible, seaweed-based membranes filled with water and made from an abundant natural resource that disappears “as quickly as natural food waste”.

The sachets are edible and safe to be swallowed, or, if they are discarded, will reportedly decompose into their natural components between four and six weeks, whether in the natural environment or in landfill.

Skipping Rocks Lab has trialled the sachets at several sports events, festivals and functions and says that the product will “revolutionise the water-on-the-go market”. The sachets can also be used for other products and markets, including soft drinks, spirits and cosmetics.

The firm says the proprietary material is "cheaper to produce than plastic, uses less energy and produces less CO2."

Organisers of the Half Marathon said: “Removing single use plastic bottles and cups from the course is a big step towards achieving our goal of becoming a more sustainable half marathon.”

In addition to removing the plastics from the course, they also supplied finishers with reusable and refillable plastic water bottles.