Ranah Chavoshi is developing seaweed plastic to fight pollution and support sustainable farming.
Picture standing on a beach and watching every wave bring in piles of trash instead of seashells. That was the reality Ranah Chavoshi faced on a scuba trip in Borneo, and it sparked an idea that could change how we fight pollution. The 32-year-old biologist from British Columbia is developing a new kind of eco-friendly plastic—made from seaweed.
Chavoshi’s creation, seaweed plastic, is a natural, fully compostable material that could help solve the world’s plastic pollution crisis. Unlike traditional plastics, which take hundreds of years to break down and leave behind harmful microplastics, her seaweed plastic breaks down completely and safely.
Now, she’s preparing to test her invention on farms, where plastic mulch is a major source of soil and food contamination. If successful, seaweed plastic could soon be found in fields, homes, and even everyday products.
Chavoshi’s love for seaweed started while studying aquatic toxicology and phycology (the study of seaweed) at Simon Fraser University. Where most people see slimy blobs along the shore, she sees a vibrant underwater forest teeming with life.
Seaweeds are a type of macroalgae. They don’t have roots or stems like plants, but they absorb nutrients directly from seawater and turn sunlight into energy. They’re critical for ocean ecosystems, offering food and shelter to countless species.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, with her field research on hold, Chavoshi had time to think. She remembered the plastic-choked waters of Borneo and asked herself: Could seaweed become part of the solution?
Chavoshi began experimenting in her kitchen. Her early attempts were messy and smelled terrible, but she kept pushing. Eventually, she created a flexible, durable seaweed plastic that looks and feels much like conventional plastic.
Unlike many bioplastics that still leave behind microplastic particles, her seaweed plastic fully composts into harmless natural materials. It offers a real alternative for industries struggling with plastic waste, especially farming.
Farmers often use plastic mulch to protect young crops, but over time, that plastic breaks apart and pollutes the soil. Seaweed plastic could replace it, leaving soil healthier and crops cleaner.
Seaweed plastic isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for business too. The global bioplastics market is growing fast, valued at over $10 billion in 2023 and expected to reach nearly $20 billion by 2030.
Seaweed-based plastics make up a small but fast-growing slice of that market, attracting attention from investors and eco-conscious brands alike.
By tapping into this expanding market, Chavoshi’s innovation could help meet the rising demand for sustainable packaging and farming materials.
Chavoshi co-founded PhyCo in 2022 with fellow scientist Stacey Goldberg to take her seaweed plastic idea beyond the lab. Together, they have won over a dozen awards, including top honours at the Ocean Wise Innovator Lab for youth.
At PhyCo, Goldberg leads research on how to ensure that seaweed plastic completely decomposes after use. She’s developing enzyme-based technologies that help the material break down faster and more safely, even under tough conditions.
Goldberg’s concern is simple but urgent: plastics we don’t see, like microplastics and nanoplastics, are now entering our bodies through food and water. Seaweed plastic could drastically reduce that hidden threat.
Chavoshi’s project not only tackles plastic pollution; it also supports healthier oceans.
Seaweed farming itself has major environmental benefits. Seaweed absorbs carbon dioxide faster than trees, helping fight climate change. It also improves water quality by filtering out excess nutrients, creating cleaner, healthier coastal ecosystems.
And unlike traditional crops, it does all this without needing fresh water, fertilizers, or pesticides. Growing seaweed builds marine habitats for fish and other wildlife, making it one of the most sustainable crops on Earth.
PhyCo plans to partner with Indigenous and coastal communities across Canada to supply seaweed for its products. It works with groups like Nova Scotia’s Ecology Action Centre (EAC), which supports small, responsible seaweed farmers.
According to Shannon Arnold at the EAC, small-scale seaweed farming has minimal environmental impact. Farmers prune existing seaweed carefully, encouraging regrowth and protecting local ecosystems.
Of course, switching to seaweed plastic isn’t without challenges. Currently, seaweed plastic is more expensive than traditional plastics, sometimes up to three times more. However, Chavoshi believes that costs will come down as demand grows and production scales up.
Considering the hidden costs of traditional plastic—polluted soil, poisoned oceans, and microplastic health risks, the price of seaweed plastic seems far more reasonable.
For farmers, using seaweed plastic mulch could mean better soil health, healthier crops, and cleaner food. For consumers, it could mean less plastic in their meals, homes, and bodies.
As a first-generation Iranian Canadian and a queer woman of color in science and entrepreneurship, Chavoshi has faced her share of barriers.
She often finds herself having to prove her knowledge in a field where she is frequently underestimated.
Still, she pushes forward, fueled by her belief that real change is possible. Like the resilient seaweed she studies, Chavoshi can thrive in rough waters.
With partnerships growing, farm trials beginning, and a clear mission to make eco-friendly materials accessible, PhyCo and its seaweed plastic could soon help turn the tide against plastic pollution—one sheet, crop, and community at a time.
