THE ISSUE
Since the 1950s, 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced worldwide. While plastic degrades over time, we are still living among all the plastic that has been created. Americans use 38 billion water bottles per year, and multi-layer packaging is usually unrecyclable due to the difficulty of separating layers of aluminum.
WHO WE ARE
BioWrap™ is a biodegradable, durable, and flexible membrane that functions as a plastic alternative and an encasement for various materials, specifically fluids. Our product is made using a technique known as reverse spherification. The membrane is composed of two ingredients: crosslinked sodium alginate and calcium lactate.
Reverse Spherification
Since our product is conductive, we used several sensors and coded them using an Arduino to enhance the implementation of BioWrap membranes.
MORE ABOUT BIOWRAP
Uniquely durable and versatile, our product is used in a range of fields, including medicine, agriculture, and food packaging.
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Within the realm of medicine, BioWrap functions as a substitute for the polyvinyl chloride IV bags that pose significant health risks to patients; we use a liquid level sensor to alert doctors when IV fluid is low.
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In relation to agriculture, BioWrap products contain fertilizer, minerals, or compost to reinvigorate eroded or unhealthy soil. We couple the membrane with an embedded pH or moisture sensor to track the fertility of the land.
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Finally, our tasteless BioWrap membranes effectively replace plastic water bottles and condiment packets. We used a weight sensor to ensure optimal taste and texture for this branch of application.
Not only can our product be applied to a wide range of areas, but it can also be freeze-dried so it has a shelf life of years.
COMPETITORS
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One competitor of ours would be MarinaTex, a company that manufactures a plastic substitute made from fish scales. However, their market does not overlap with ours because their product is an exclusive replacement for cutlery and shopping bags.
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Another potential competitor is Ooho, which uses an algae solution to create edible water pods. But having reached out to them, we know that they use different chemicals than we do and therefore have a shorter shelf life and range of uses.
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There are also classic plastic wraps and containers. Yet they have significant negative impacts on the environment, and as the movement against plastic picks up speed, they will be less frequently used. In fact, 10 towns across New Jersey already ban plastic in many forms.
OUR TEAM
Rebecca Arian
Project Lead and Coder
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Mariana Kaufman
Engineer and Designer
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Sophia Eisenberg
Programmer and Designer
