Notpla, a company that emerged from the university environment, is now equipping the catering outlets at Imperial College London with plastic-free food service packaging, thereby supporting the university's sustainability strategy.
Notpla, a company specialising in sustainable packaging materials, is rolling out its seagrass-based foodservice packaging across Imperial College London's catering services. The company is thus returning to the place where its founding idea was born: as part of the Innovation Design Engineering Master's programme at Imperial College London. The introduction is part of the university's „Sustainable Imperial“ initiative, which aims to reduce its ecological impact and promote innovative solutions from its own environment.
The roots of Notpla go back to Imperial College, where founders Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez developed the first concepts for alternative packaging materials. They were supported by university funding programmes, among other things. From these beginnings, Notpla has developed into an internationally active provider of sustainable material solutions.
Sustainability as part of the campus strategy
The collaboration with Notpla is embedded in Imperial College's overarching sustainability agenda, which was formulated in 2024 as part of the „Science for Humanity“ strategy and further concretised with the Sustainable Food and Drink Policy 2026-2031. The aim is to implement science-based measures to combat climate change and at the same time apply new technologies in its own operations.
Reduction of plastic and emissions
According to the parties involved, the new packaging will replace more than 450,000 units of conventional disposable packaging within a year. This would save around 1,185 kilograms of plastic and avoid around 13,300 kilograms of CO₂ emissions. The packaging is made from renewable seaweed extracts, is home-compostable and does not require any plastic or PFAS-containing coatings.
In addition to ecological aspects, Imperial also refers to health issues. The background to this is a growing number of scientific studies on microplastics and nanoplastics as well as chemicals from conventional packaging that can be released, particularly with hot food. Against this background, the university sees the use of alternative materials as a contribution to the protection of students and staff.
A role model for other universities
The cooperation between Notpla and Imperial College London is seen by both sides as a model for other universities. In view of the growing importance of sustainability in university operations, the partners are looking into expanding the project to other locations within the university. According to Imperial, the project is already serving as a reference for similar initiatives at other educational institutions.
Source: Imperial College London
