Everyone knows what irreparable harm to the environment is caused by plastic bottles that do not completely decompose in the soil and which need a huge amount of non-renewable resources for their production. A worthy eco-alternative to plastic was presented by British innovators.

There is an opinion that bottled water is terrible. We are talking, first of all, about quality. Some consider silly the very fact of selling ordinary bottled water, arguing that absolutely the same thing is flowing from our tap. It is difficult to say whether this is true, because each manufacturer company assures customers that water is natural and is taken from wells. But that’s not the point.

Statistics shows the fact that the production of plastic bottles annually requires more than 17 million barrels of oil, which significantly depletes our stock of non-renewable resources. As for the production process, plastic bottles are made of plastic polyethylene terephthalate that does not completely decompose in the soil for centuries. Instead, it breaks up into smaller fragments that pollute the earth and cause animal diseases. Recycling can improve the situation, but it will be able to cover only about 20% of the 50 million bottles of water that we buy every year and throw to the trash.

One of the London laboratories provided a mobile and environmentally friendly alternative for water storage. The invention was called «edible blob» or «Ooho». The water is stored in a spherical double membrane consisting of brown algae and calcium chloride. To drink water you need either to pierce the hole in the membrane and suck out the water, like juice from the box, or just send it to your mouth right along with the packaging (it’s edible). The invention is produced under the Creative Commons license, and in the future it is planned to introduce the novelty for home use.

In fact, an «edible drop» is not an opening. For example, not so long ago we already wrote that biodegradable bottles were produced. As for Ooho, making it a consumer-accessible product will be quite difficult, for example, due to the complex production process. In addition, it is not entirely practical, in the sense that there are only a few sips in one such «drop», and in order to carry it with you, it is necessary to invent a container that is suitable in all respects. Perhaps this will happen someday.