Designing with Alganyl: A Sustainable Plastic Alternative
Authors: Fiona Bell, Ella McQuaid, Latifa Al-Naimi, and Mirela Alistar
Summary: Alganyl is a highly customizable, accessible, and sustainable biomaterial made from marine algae. To make Alganyl, we optimized existing DIY bioplastics for flexibility and strength, resulting in a biomaterial that acts and feels similar to vinyl fabric. We applied Alganyl to make everything from environmental sensors and LED circuits to sculptures and clothing. When no longer wanted or needed, Alganyl can be recycled through a recooking process or biodegraded in soil for 60 days. Through a user study, participants found Alganyl to be an accessible, sustainable, and versatile material for creative practices.
Outcomes: Journal Diseña Paper, ACM TEI’22 Paper, ACM TEI’22 Studio, ACM CHI’22 Interactivity, CU ATLAS News, ACORN Workshops, Provisional Patent