Biodegradable plastics derived from plant materials seem like a solution to sustainably deal with the vast mount of plastic that is used and thrown away each year. We are pretty sure our planet is sick of swallowing millions of tonnes of plastics bags and bottles every year. Biodegradable plastics are normally used for packaging, to protect food and keep it fresh, but one Czech company has recenty launched a Kickstarter campaign for durable, biodegradable bottles with customised stylish designs to give the stock standard plastic water bottle a run for its money.
Plastics are valued for their durability and their ability to keep things fresh. Conventionally speaking, biodegradable plastics are usually only beneficial when the application calls for a cheap, quick way to dispose of plastic packaging and long-term durability is not required, such as in the case of food packaging.
Zuzana Cabejskova, the founder of Zaza Bottles, thinks out of the box and is determined to break the convention. As an expert on sustainable hydration and an Industrial Ecologist, she established an NGO called Czech The Tap in 2010 to promote tap water use among Czech restaurants and citizens. In 2013, she launched a start-up project for producing bio-based refillable bottles – the birth of ZAZA bottles:
“We’re introducing the first plant-based bottle to really show we’re serious about the circular economy. The transparent part is made of a 50% bioC PA and we’re still looking for a supplier for the non-transparent parts, preferably that would be a close-to 100% bioC solution.”, said Zuzana.
To make it more “state-of-art” and by extension, more appealing to consumers, ZAZA Planet has invited a few world-renowned artists whose Limited Edition ZAZA Art designs will be featured on panels that can be added or removed from the bottles helping water bottles to really shake up their image.
The team is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to get the project off the ground and to help finance moulds and initial material orders. Until now, there are close to 200 backers for the project, but they have still yet to reach their financial goal.
Head to the Kickstarter page to learn more and give the campaign a boost.
