In Victorian London, among the factories and warehouses of the city’s East End, Alexander Parkes developed the world’s first plastic (he inventively called it Parkesine). Notpla, a startup now based in the same part of the city, wants to follow in his footsteps. Unlike Parkesine, however, its material is not made to last. And instead of fossil fuels, it is made from seaweed. At Emirates Stadium, not far away, football fans already gorge on hot dogs served on trays that use the material, which decomposes naturally in just six weeks.
在维多利亚时代的伦敦，亚历山大·帕克斯（Alexander Parkes）在城市东区的工厂和仓库之间，发明了世界上第一种塑料，并创造性地将其命名为“Parkesine”。如今，在这座城市同一区域的一家初创公司Notpla希望追随他的脚步。然而，与Parkesine不同的是，Notpla的材料并不是为了持久设计的；而且它不是由化石燃料制成，而是由海藻制成的。在不远处的酋长球场（Emirates Stadium），足球迷们已经在享受用这种材料制成的托盘上的热狗，这种材料只需六周就能自然分解。
Notpla is one of a number of companies which are exploring using natural polymers—such as corn, mushrooms or agricultural waste—as alternatives to plastic. Traceless, a German startup, recently set up a factory to produce cutlery and other products that are compostable. C&A, a European fashion retailer, uses biodegradable hooks made by the startup to hang socks. IKEA, a Swedish homewares giant, has experimented with mushroom-based packaging. As companies step up efforts to reduce their plastic waste, expect plenty more innovation in the years ahead.
Notpla是众多探索使用天然聚合物——如玉米、蘑菇或农业废料——作为塑料替代品的公司之一。德国初创公司Traceless最近建立了一座工厂，生产可堆肥的餐具和其他产品。欧洲时尚零售商C&A使用由这家初创公司制造的可生物降解挂钩来挂袜子。瑞典家居用品巨头IKEA也尝试了基于蘑菇的包装材料。随着各家公司加大力度减少其塑料废物，未来几年可以期待更多的创新成果。

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