Spider-Web Inspired Plastic Substitutes: Changing the Plastic Pollution Game

The company Xampla has produced a new eco-friendly material to replace plastic, inspired by a certain eight-legged insect – spiders.

Xampla was founded in 2018 by scientists from the University of Cambridge with the goal of replacing the single-use plastics used daily around the world. They created a new plant protein material for commercial use to replace plastics used in wrappers, body wash, and other cosmetic products. Some of their products include microcapsules, films, coatings, and single-use plastic substitutes, all made from plants.

Researchers at Xampla were inspired by spider silk to create these plant proteins. Spiders use protein and energy to create the durable silk used in their webs – which weight-for-weight is stronger than steel. Xampla’s research allows them to recreate this process by untangling renewable plant-based protein to create new structures through increased molecular interaction. This process takes advantage of protein’s self-assembling ability to create strong supramolecular structures, which can be used to make films and microcapsules to replace plastic products. Unlike real plastic, Xampla products naturally decompose within weeks, drastically reducing the environmental impact.

These efforts seek to address the costs of plastic pollution on the environment – especially in the ocean. Nearly 20 million tons of plastic enter the oceans annually, negatively impacting over 800 species of marine life and causing over $13 billion in losses to economies focused on fishing and tourism.

The plastics filling the ocean range in size from large fishing equipment to tiny pieces – called microplastics – that are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Xampla’s products are an eco-friendly replacement for these plastics, found in many every-day products.

Gousto, a recipe box company, has already implemented Xampla technology as a cookable stock cube wrapper. Since the wrappers are completely made from plant proteins, they are both edible and cookable. This means that they are easy to use and even easier to dispose of – it can be dropped right into the pot with soup and will safely decompose.

These advances give a glimpse of a future where plastic production is eliminated and the oceans are protected from plastic pollution.