- Title: Bubble-like water bottle you can eat
- Date: 13th April 2017
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (APRIL 12, 2017) (REUTERS) CLOSE OF OOHO SPHERES ON TABLE WIDE OF RODRIGO GARCIA GONZALEZ, FOUNDER OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, PLACING OOHO SPHERES ON TABLE VARIOUS CLOSE UPS OF OOHO SPHERES BEING PLACED ON TABLE VARIOUS OF GARCIA GONZALEZ HOLDING OOHO AND LOOKING AT IT CLOSE OF SIGN READING (English): "EDIBLE WATER BOTTLES" (SOUNDBITE) (English) RODRIGO GARCIA GONZALEZ, FOUNDER OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, SAYING: "It's a membrane made of seaweed that can contain water or any kind of liquid. It's made from an extract of the brown seaweed called alginate." GARCIA GONZALEZ SHOWING WOMAN HOW TO SUCK WATER OUT OF LARGER OOHO CLOSE OF ORANGE AND CHERRY FLAVOURED OOHOS WIDE OF WOMAN SUCKING WATER OUT OF LARGE OOHO (SOUNDBITE) (English) RODRIGO GARCIA GONZALEZ, FOUNDER OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, SAYING: "We start with the seaweed as a raw material but then there is several steps to how we make this in order to achieve a sphere and make it strong enough. You see it's quite strong (THROWS OOHO BALL INTO AIR AND CATCHES IT), it's quite tough. It's a work of engineering as well to make it resistant enough but so you don't choke on it. We're working as well on making double layers, so you can peel them off if you have it in your pocket, you can just peel them and eat the inside." CLOSE OF GARCIA GONZALEZ SUCKING WATER OUT OF OOHO WOMAN EATING OOHO WHILE BEING FILMED ON SMART PHONE VARIOUS OF CHILDREN EATING OOHO MEMBERS OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB PICKING UP OOHO SPHERES AND SAYING 'CHEERS' CLOSE OF LISE HONSINGER, COO/CFO OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, PLACING OOHO IN MOUTH (SOUNDBITE) (English) LISE HONSINGER, COO/CFO OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, SAYING: "Most people just grab a bottle of water, hold it for five minutes, drink it and throw it away. How can that then exist for 700 years? So this absolutely a solution to that. We are very purest; we don't want to see this packaged in plastic. No, this will be served as-is, as a packaging." MAN EATING ORANGE OOHO WITH SUPRISED EXPRESSION WHEN IT POPS IN HIS MOUTH WIDE OF STALL AT BOROUGH MARKET WITH PEOPLE LOOKING TALKING TO GARCIA GONZALEZ (SOUNDBITE) (English) RODRIGO GARCIA GONZALEZ, FOUNDER OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, SAYING: "Every year we consume 10 percent more plastic bottles than the previous year. And it's a new product that's come into our lives in a few decades, and it's taking over our consumption habits to drink something that's as essential as water. And we think Ooho, maybe not the solution for all the applications that plastic bottles have, but definitely for short term consumption it could be a solution." WOMAN EATING OOHO MAN EATING OOHO LITTLE GIRL BEING HELD BY FATHER AS SHE EATS OOHO PAN OF ORANGE AND CHERRY FLAVOURED OOHO SPHERS ON TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LISE HONSINGER, COO/CFO OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, SAYING: "At the moment it's a semi-manual process, so there is a machine involved but it does require a lot of input from humans. So we can only produce about a thousand to two-thousand a day. But once the machine is ready we'll be able to produce up to a hundred-thousand a day." LITTLE GIRL TAKING OOHO OFF TABLE AND EATING IT VARIOUS OF MAN EATING OOHO (SOUNDBITE) (English) LISE HONSINGER, COO/CFO OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, SAYING: "We're still working on things like extending the shelf-life, looking at different options in terms of thickness, if we want to make one that stands up more, or more flexible for marathons where people just want to eat it whole." WIDE OF POP-UP OOHO STALL IN BOROUGH MARKET WOMAN EATING OOHO (SOUNDBITE) (English) LISE HONSINGER, COO/CFO OF SKIPPING ROCKS LAB, SAYING: "Separately, there's the bar market. Obviously, people see these small round bubbles and they just think 'shots'. So that's definitely something we're looking at. We have encapsulated alcohol, we want to perfect it, and then hopefully this will be the Jägerbomb of the future." CLOSE OF MAN EATING OOHO AND SAYING: "I love that" WIDE OF WOMAN EATING OOHO
- Embargoed: 27th April 2017 12:08
- Keywords: Ooho edible water bottle plastic packaging water bottle biodegradable Skipping Rocks Lab
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Science
- Reuters ID: LVA0016C8GBX7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Small transparent spheres filled with natural or flavoured water could help provide a solution to London's plastic waste problem, according to the start-up company based in the British capital that manufactures them.
With many cities around the world struggling to dispose of vast numbers of used plastic water bottles, the biodegradable 'Ooho balls' have begun quenching the thirst of consumers at special events in San Francisco and London.
The balls, which resemble large bubbles, have a jelly-like membrane made of plant and seaweed extracts. The company, Skipping Rocks Lab, says the membranes decompose after four to six weeks if not consumed.
A report published by the London municipal authorities on Thursday said more than 4,000 plastic bottles had been removed from the River Thames in a one month period last year, demonstrating the scale of the waste problem.
"We think Ooho, may not be the solution for all the applications that plastic bottles have, but definitely for short term consumption it could be a solution," Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, the founder of Skipping Rocks Lab, told Reuters.
In a trial near London Bridge on Wednesday, the innovative balls drew a mixture of surprise, amusement and delight among those who sampled them.
London's city assembly said Ooho was a step forward.
"It could be part of the solution but not the only solution. You also need to be able to refill bottles at railway stations for example," said Leonie Cooper, the Chair of the assembly's environment committee.
Skipping Rocks, who spent three years developing Ooho, said they produce up to 2,000 balls a day but hope to increase that figure, extend the shelf-life of the product and improve the resistance of the membranes.
The company aims to target, among other consumers, marathon runners, who will be able to dispose of the Oohos mid-race without concerns about the environment. It is also considering encapsulating alcohol for a whole new market.
"People see these small round bubbles and they just think 'shots'. So that's definitely something we're looking at," said Skipping Rocks Lab Chief Operating Officer Lise Honsinger.
"We have encapsulated alcohol, we want to perfect it, and then hopefully this will be the Jaegerbomb of the future." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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