In Victorian London, among the many factories and warehouses of the town’s East Finish, Alexander Parkes developed the world’s first plastic (he inventively referred to as it Parkesine). Notpla, a startup now based mostly in the identical a part of the town, needs to comply with in his footsteps. In contrast to Parkesine, nevertheless, its materials is just not made to final. And as an alternative of fossil fuels, it’s constituted of seaweed. At Emirates Stadium, not far-off, soccer followers already gorge on scorching canine served on trays that use the fabric, which decomposes naturally in simply six weeks.