Tag Archives: compostable

This Australian Soy Fish Decomposes in 6 Weeks, Not 400 Years

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As someone who can demolish a sushi platter in minutes, I’ve always felt a pang of guilt watching those tiny plastic fish pile up on my plate. Sustainable design studio Heliograf clearly felt the same way. After five years of development, they’ve launched Holy Carp!, the world’s first home compostable soy sauce dropper that doesn’t make you choose between convenience and conscience.

The Australian team initially drew attention to this plastic problem through their brilliant Light Soy lamps made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. But they didn’t stop there. With South Australia banning those beloved little fish and other states following suit, Heliograf knew they had to create something that worked just as well. Consider this: since 1950, we’ve used between 8 and 12 billion soy fish. Each one serves us for maybe three minutes before hanging around for centuries.

Designer: Heliograf

Bagasse Pulp Meets Familiar Function

Here’s where it gets clever. Holy Carp! droppers are made from bagasse pulp—basically sugarcane waste that would otherwise be thrown away. The genius part is that these decompose in your compost bin within 4-6 weeks, not 400 years. Plus, restaurants fill them fresh instead of getting pre-filled plastic ones shipped from who-knows-where, meaning fresher soy sauce for your salmon rolls.

Working with Vert Design and actual sushi restaurants (people who understand the stakes), Heliograf kept that perfect fish shape we all love while fixing the obvious problems. The 12mL container is deliberately bigger than those frustratingly tiny plastic ones because, let’s be honest, who hasn’t grabbed three or four at once? The designers watched people do exactly that, creating even more waste.

Plant Pulp Expertise Meets Ocean Impact

What I love about this story is how Heliograf used knowledge from their existing lamp packaging to crack this problem. Sometimes the best solutions come from your own backyard—literally, in this case, since their lamps already use plastic-free packaging. The droppers hold soy sauce safely for 48 hours and won’t leak all over your takeaway bag.

“It’s a small change, but we truly believe every drop matters,” says co-founder Angus Ware. “We wanted to show that we can still create moments of joy when being sustainable.” Since 2020, their cleanup efforts have removed over 32 tonnes of plastic—equivalent to 32 million soy fish.

Available Soon for Early Adopters

The numbers are staggering: 40% of plastic waste comes from packaging, with nearly 855 billion single-use sachets used annually. For those of us who can’t imagine sushi without that perfect little fish, Holy Carp! offers guilt-free indulgence. Restaurants can register at heliograf.com/holycarp for early access. Finally, we can enjoy our California rolls without contributing to microplastic soup in our oceans.

The post This Australian Soy Fish Decomposes in 6 Weeks, Not 400 Years first appeared on Yanko Design.

This compostable iPhone case can be potted to grow plants and flowers

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Although smartphone manufacturers design their phones to be durable and resilient, a lot of owners still fret over the safety of their expensive purchases. Phone cases are a dime a dozen, but while that might be good for variety and choice, it’s terrible for the planet. These accessories are almost all made from some form of plastic or another, and they get discarded left and right the moment they become discolored or damaged. Very few manufacturers pay close attention to this aspect because of how protective cases have to be made cheap and plenty. Fortunately, there is a number that does take that responsibility quite seriously, producing this revolutionary iPhone case that you can plant in the soil after it has reached its end of life to watch it grow into new life as plants and flowers.

Designer: iGreen

There’s no rule that phone cases have to be made from plastic or plastic-like materials, they just happen to be cheap, durable, and long-lasting. They’re not immortal, of course, and once cases break or get discolored over time, they’re completely useless and have to be thrown out. That’s not even considering perfectly usable cases that are disposed of simply because they are no longer attractive or match the owner’s interests. Some manufacturers do have programs for recycling the plastics in these cases to make new cases, but iGreen Gadgets actually has an even more creative use for these discarded accessories.

For starters, the case is 100% compostable, so it will decay and dissolve into the earth when buried. The material is based on cornstarch, a very common biodegradable substance that’s also used in many plastic alternatives. Even the powder used to produce colors is also naturally based. Despite its completely biodegradable nature, the cases still provide the necessary protection your iPhone needs to survive accidents and avoid an early retirement in landfills.

The difference from other bioplastic cases is that each iGreen Cover case contains living seeds protected by a special water-soluble film inside the cover. Once the case has served its purpose, you simply have to plant it in a pot at a 30-degree angle with the inside of the cover facing up. You cover it with soil while leaving the upper half of the case exposed, water it, and expose it to sunlight, and within a few weeks, you will be able to witness your phone case transforming into plants.

Different case colors hold different kinds of seeds. Green will grow basil, yellow for daisies, and light blue for Forget-me-nots. The case itself, specifically the cornstarch, contains everything the seeds need to survive inside the case and then grow once planted. The plants that grow won’t be that practical. The flowers are mostly decorative, though basil can probably be used for cooking. Still, it’s a rather ingenious and creative way to reuse a product that’s often discarded mindlessly, turning a planet-killer into a plant-grower.

The post This compostable iPhone case can be potted to grow plants and flowers first appeared on Yanko Design.