Plastic Replacement Packaging That Dissolves in Hot Water?

As a product of countless nights spent studying in school, this Eco-conscious college grad came up with an ingenious replacement for the single-use plastics packaging, used for instant ramen noodles.

Holly Grounds, who studied product design at Ravensbourne University London, is responsible for developing an edible, spice infused packaging film for instant noodles. Grounds says she felt a need to develop her “Dissolvable Noodle Packaging” after realizing the long-lasting environmental consequences of such a quick and easy meal.

“In the current world of instant ramen noodles, there is often more plastic than noodle,” Grounds wrote on her website. “The product can be cooked and eaten in under 10 minutes, yet the packaging can take 8 decades to decompose.” Holly Grounds

Image source: hollygrounds.cargo.site/DISSOLVABLE-NOODLE-PACKAGING

After countless days and months of trial, error and testing, Grounds managed to simultaneously do away with both the plastic noodle sleeves and the single-use spice packets. This was done by incorporating the seasoning into the biofilm packaging. While the biofilm is thick and sturdy enough to keep the noodles from getting stale, it melts into the ramen broth approximately one minute after coming in contact with boiling water.

Grounds states that she can produce the film simply by mixing potato starch, glycerin, and water with the seasonings and pouring the concoction into a mould, letting it can set for a period 24 hours. Once solid, she uses the film to wrap the noodles into a “donut” shape for even heating on the stove top. For hygienic purposes, the meal is bundled in a paper wrapper.

Not only is this invention more environmentally friendly than regular consumer packaging, it also takes less time to cook and prepare, as it eliminates the need to tear open the couple of different plastic sleeves. This is the first of Ground’s inventions, but we hope not the last, as we expect great things from her to come and hope to feature her again!