Oceanium, a biotech start-up based at the European Marine Science Park in Oban, is developing home-compostable, circular lifecycle biopackaging derived from sustainably farmed seaweed using innovative green chemistry and proprietary biorefinery technology. The demand for circular life-cycle bio-packaging in the UK greatly exceeds supply. Oceanium's zero-waste biorefinery approach maximises the value of whole seaweed, allowing development of seaweed-based, home-compostable/marine safe packaging to replace fossil-fuel based plastics. Our seaweed biorefinery extracts maximum value from sustainably farmed kelp, creating a "pyramid of value"(Cefas\_2016) ranging from added-value commodities such as food ingredients and biopackaging to high-value nutritional products.

Oceanium's circular life-cycle seaweed based material is designed to be disposed of with food waste for compost for soil health or anaerobic digestion for energy, which dovetails with the UK Waste Management strategy calling for commercial/residential food-waste collection throughout the UK by 2023\.

With funding from Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures(105400), we have demonstrated experimental proof-of-concept(TRL3) for the conversion of seaweed-based biopackaging compounds into products: home-compostable film and board as a replacement for packaging with no end-of-life solution(e.g., contaminated with food). We have developed a patentable packaging formulation and will file patents in summer 2020\.

Here, with support from Innovate UK, and working with established converters, we will scale up our biopackaging process to pilot-scale production of biopackaging film and board products. We will optimise the technical performance of our home-compostable seaweed-derived biopackaging products and integrate our seaweed biopackaging material into existing packaging production plant/converter facilities, demonstrating that we can deliver sustainable packaging at scale. Our products will be 100% home-compostable and marine-safe according to EN 13432, ASTM D6400 and Vincotte OK Compost Home standards.

Importantly, unlike competing land-based bio-feedstocks, farmed seaweed does not require cleared land, fresh water, insecticide or fertilisers and is sourced regionally. Oceanium's impact mission is to enable sustainable seaweed farming in the UK. Seaweed farms sequester carbon and absorb excess nutrients, bioremediating ocean acidification and eutrophication, while also providing alternative livelihoods for fishermen and creating jobs across the value chain in coastal regions. With its extensive, nutrient-rich coastline and world-leading expertise in biotechnology innovation, marine science, and aquaculture, the UK has the potential to lead the development of the sustainable seaweed farming industry in Europe. With Innovate UK support, Oceanium will support the UK's ambition to become a world leader in sustainable packaging, tackling plastic-waste and climate crises, and catalysing the growth of the UK sustainable seaweed farming industry.