PA Consulting and Searo Labs have announced a collaboration to develop seaweed-based materials for the packaging industry.

The partnership aims to address the growing demand for sustainable alternatives to plastic and single-use items.

Searo Labs, a specialist in sustainable materials, has developed a unique range of seaweed-based materials with a wide range of potential applications, including food packaging, personal care products, and home-care items.

The company brings materials expertise and intellectual property (IP) to the partnership.

Meanwhile, PA Consulting, a global innovation and transformation consultancy, will leverage its experience in scaling and commercialising new technologies to help bring Searo’s materials to market.

The company will focus on developing scalable manufacturing processes and identifying potential customers for the seaweed-based products.

The collaboration will be based at PA’s Global Innovation and Technology Centre in Cambridge, UK, where both companies will work together to develop and refine the seaweed-based materials.

“Helping brands to reach their sustainability goals sits at the heart of this collaboration. The urgent need to reduce plastics and harmful chemicals like PFAS [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances] in our environment requires innovative solutions," said Steven Clarke, process engineering and industrial automation expert at PA Consulting.

"This novel seaweed-based technology has the potential to make a big impact across a wide range of products that people use daily.”

“Our partnership with PA is an opportunity for global brands to gain access to Searo’s cutting-edge material technology, relying on PA’s proven ability to deliver real-word [world] solutions for industry," added Francis Field, co-founder of Searo Labs.

"Searo’s mission is to put an end to single-use plastic by commercialising seaweed-based natural alternatives, and projects as big as this cannot be addressed by one company alone."

The partnership between PA Consulting and Searo Labs highlights the growing interest in sustainable packaging solutions.

As consumer demand for environmentally friendly products continues to rise, the development of innovative materials such as seaweed-based alternatives is becoming increasingly important.