Sway

Sway packaging / Source: Sway

BeautyCompostableFlexibleFood & BeverageFood GradeLightweightNorth AmericaPackagingRegenerativeSeaweedSway Flexible PackagingTextilesTransparentVegan

WHAT WE SAY:

We see our polluted ocean as a symptom of the global plastic problem, but it may also hold the answer to this crisis in the form of seaweed-based packaging.

Sway, a startup which came to life on the California coast, isn't just looking to create a flexible plastic alternative derived from seaweed — it wants to 'sway' the future of materials with its regenerative approach. The material is designed to outperform plastic technically, socially, and environmentally, and it gained major traction when it was still only a concept. Now with a USD 2 million seed fund, a USD 600,000 prize fund, and Tom Ford's stamp of approval under its belt, it sits on the cusp of significant market cut through. It's early days, but clearly this is a material worth betting on.

Sway

WHAT IS SWAY FLEXIBLE PACKAGING?

California-based startup Sway has harnessed the power of seaweed to create a regenerative alternative to thin film plastics.
To make its packaging, Sway takes a powder which comes from the inside of seaweed cells, adds it to water, and heats the mixture. Next, sugars and starches from plants including coconut and wheat are added. The mixture is then cast into a film and cooled.
While the material is mixed by hand and tested on a small scale in the Sway lab, it's designed to be processed on existing plastic machinery at a commercial scale.
The range of packaging Sway has developed includes polybags, sealed pouches, and wrappers.
The company has set its sights on food packaging as it's such a pervasive environmental pollutant, however early tests came in the form of polybags and retail bags as they are 'low hanging fruit' — easier to develop and scale.
Sway's film material can be heat sealed and used with a range of natural dyes to suit company branding.
The company says its packaging has a 12-month shelf life, and will compost "faster than a corn cob but slower than a banana peel".
Sway tests end-of-life both internally and with external parties. Tests with the Compost Manufacture Alliance showed that the material disappears entirely in less than 48 days, according to co-founder and CEO Julia Marsh. The company has submitted its material for TÜV Austria's home and industrial compost rating and expects to "pass with flying colours" due to the internal testing it has undertaken.
Sway's partnership with the USDA allowed it to gauge what happens to the material if it ends up in the natural environment, while testing as part of the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize proved it would degrade within a simulated grey whale gut.
One of Sway's central messages is to replenish the planet from sea to soil, therefore it has tested the NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) content of its material to assess its benefits within compost. Marsh says "there are some really promising results".
The company works with a vetted network of farms and seaweed processors, primarily located in North and South America, to source its seaweed. It works exclusively with farms that adhere to Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Marine Stewardship Council standards.
In 2021, Sway won the Beyond the Bag challenge, which saw it partner with CVS, Walmart, and Target on limited testing to trial elements such as colour, texture, and messaging. At COP26 it was named as a semi-finalist in the Blue Climate Initiative's Ocean Innovation Prize.
In April 2023, Sway was announced as the winner of the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize, powered by Lonely Whale, an award aimed at tackling thin film plastic. The company won USD 600,000 and will now work with Tom Ford Beauty and Estée Lauder on "market readiness and application development". The prize will also help facilitate the expansion of manufacturing.
In April 2021, Sway raised a USD 2.5 million seed round, and is raising its second round as of April 2023.
The company aims to achieve competitive pricing — relative to LDPE and the cheapest bio-based alternatives — by 2027.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Compostable
Flexible
Food Grade
Lightweight
Regenerative
Transparent
Vegan

INDUSTRY:

Beauty
Food & Beverage
Packaging
Textiles

AVAILABILITY:

Partner Trials

DIVE DEEPER:

Each year, an estimated 180 billion polybags and one trillion plastic shopping bags are produced. Although LDPE — a commonly used thin film plastic produced at a volume of 19 megatonnes per year — is technically recyclable, only around 4% of it is actually recycled.
Marsh started her career in packaging design and was particularly frustrated by thin film plastics, as lightweight, convenient alternatives for applications such as snack wrappers weren't available.
Sway began with Marsh, who grew up on the coast, ordering seaweed online and mixing prototypes in a pot in her kitchen as part of her master's thesis. Seaweed can sequester 20 times more carbon per acre than forests, and can grow up to 60 times faster than land-based crops. It is inexpensive and needs no pesticides or fertilisers to grow.
The company works with a diversity of species to avoid reliance on one feedstock. It is also investigating the use of semi-refined and waste feedstocks which would allow it to make use of sargassum blooms, for instance.
Sway has been extensively trialled for use with fashion brands and home goods, in part because such brands are willing to pay a premium for custom, sustainable packaging, according to Marsh.
The company has also had success packaging dry foods such as pasta, grains, and beans. It expects to expand to other food applications by the end of 2023.
Behind the scenes, Sway has tested its material with pet food companies, airlines, fashion companies, and footwear brands.
Marsh envisages Sway packaging in a similar role as Tetra Pak, in that it's instantly recognisable as a branded material and consumers know what to expect upon purchase. "What you can assume by seeing the Sway mark on that package is that the sourcing has been vetted, and the end-of-life is traceable," says Marsh.
Production of Sway film packaging currently takes place in North America, but from 2023 the company plans to expand its production globally, co-locating it with other sourcing regions such as Southeast Asia.

Various shades of Sway film / Source: Sway

Roll of clear Sway film / Source: Sway

KEY FACTS:

60x

Seaweed can grow up to 60 times faster than land-based crops

$3.1 mil

Sway has raised over USD 3.1 million in prize funds and seed funding

48 days

Sway disappears entirely in less than 48 days

Key Questions to Ask:

Can you foot the bill?

Sway expects to reach a competitive price by 2027. In the meantime, the material will come at a premium. Are you able to bridge the gap in order to help scale a regenerative solution?

How will you communicate end-of-life?

According to Marsh, testing revealed that many US consumers just 'don't get' composting due to a lack of availability. Can you increase circular material literacy or make connections to composting schemes?

Can you bring manufacturers on side?

Sway highlights the benefits of plastic it aims to mirror, rather than completely damning the material, which helps to smooth the transition when working with conventional plastics manufacturers. Can you take a diplomatic approach so as to convert rather than alienate people who could become part of the solution?

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Sway

WHAT WE SAY:

We see our polluted ocean as a symptom of the global plastic problem, but it may also hold the answer to this crisis in the form of seaweed-based packaging.

WHAT IS SWAY FLEXIBLE PACKAGING?

KEY PROPERTIES:

INDUSTRY:

AVAILABILITY:

Partner Trials

DIVE DEEPER:

Each year, an estimated 180 billion polybags and one trillion plastic shopping bags are produced. Although LDPE — a commonly used thin film plastic produced at a volume of 19 megatonnes per year — is technically recyclable, only around 4% of it is actually recycled.

Marsh started her career in packaging design and was particularly frustrated by thin film plastics, as lightweight, convenient alternatives for applications such as snack wrappers weren't available.

The company works with a diversity of species to avoid reliance on one feedstock. It is also investigating the use of semi-refined and waste feedstocks which would allow it to make use of sargassum blooms, for instance.

Sway has been extensively trialled for use with fashion brands and home goods, in part because such brands are willing to pay a premium for custom, sustainable packaging, according to Marsh.

The company has also had success packaging dry foods such as pasta, grains, and beans. It expects to expand to other food applications by the end of 2023.

Behind the scenes, Sway has tested its material with pet food companies, airlines, fashion companies, and footwear brands.

Production of Sway film packaging currently takes place in North America, but from 2023 the company plans to expand its production globally, co-locating it with other sourcing regions such as Southeast Asia.

KEY FACTS:

60x

$3.1 mil

48 days

Key Questions to Ask:

Can you foot the bill?

How will you communicate end-of-life?

Can you bring manufacturers on side?

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