Why Algae Could be the Plastic of the Future

[@UndecidedMF]

What do you think? Would you want to wear a pair of algae based shoes or flip flops? If you liked this video, be sure to check out this video's companion: "Is Mycelium Fungus the Plastic of the Future?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXLTh4mrqtZ_fLs

[@gille90]

all those puns....

[@debajyotimajumder2656]

i do want to wear a pair of algae based shoes or flip flops.

[@davidbetancourt4028]

I'd be interested in sandals, not flip flops. I would want them to last a few years with little wear & tear. Sounds like these will degrade much sooner. I'd also like to know how they degrade. Will they start rotting or smelling, indicating they need to be thrown away? Hope they can get the production scaling figured out soon-ish.

[@dagmarcirlan440]

I'd love to! 💚

[@jayayerson8819]

Synthetic punishment. But I'd wear the shoes.

[@samrooney2958]

You had fun writing this episode, there is a LANDFILL of puns in here!

[@chefnyc]

I tried to count foot, kick, step references. I had to stop at some point 😏

[@annedrieck7316]

What do u call a batman who skips church?

[@masterimbecile]

Fun with puns, son!

[@ppatters1]

I came to the comments to say the same thing

[@chrisdahler5557]

Puns are a feature of the channel. I've been thinking about playing a drinking game watching this show, but I'm undecided. Does he do all his own writing? What if aliens harvest humans to make cosmic flip-flops?

[@DavidWesley]

All hail King Matt of Pungary.

[@peypey_it_is]

Every time I noticed a pun I wondered how many I missed.

[@Sekir80]

You mean Hungary? Well, I'm getting to, so I'll go for a Turkey.

[@YathishShamaraj]

No seriously I was about to make a similar comment 😁👌👍

[@Project337]

I'm debating whether it's an innate skill or perhaps there's a course on Brilliant.

[@zachariahstovall1744]

HAIL MATT, HAIL MATT, HAIL MATT!!!

[@jeanrockprince]

True: “Algae have the potential to be the oil of the future”. Also true: Oil is the algae of the past.

[@40watt53]

Oh my god.

[@Sekir80]

@@40watt53 I feel your pain.

[@daos3300]

@@Sekir80 me too

[@openlink9958]

*HOLY SH*T*

[@paulg3336]

🤯

[@KyleWitten]

The one thought that I had that wasn't addressed was whether or not untreated sewage would be a suitable water/nutrient source. It seems to be a limitless waste product resource. And any thing left over could be returned to the sewer system from whence it came for further treatment prior to discharge. Free water/nutrients. Reduced treatment costs at the sewage plant. Sounds like a potential win/win/win for everyone.

[@angrytigger83]

I would of thought disposable packaging would be a better use if the material is bio-degradable. I've had the same flipflops for years but go though a bins worth of plastic packaging every week.

[@ElJosher]

True.

[@TwilightMysts]

I think he has covered a bit of that already. I believe there is work using mycellium as a replacement for some styrofoam packaging. The plastics still need an alternative though.

[@tims8603]

They are working on that currently. They make a foam-like material out of fungus that is biodegradable. It can be molded just like Styrofoam. Right now it's more expensive but it may be viable if they can get costs down and production up.

[@slartibartfast7921]

Don’t forget there were other benefits to this too such as the removal of algae blooms.

[@amicloud_yt]

@@hankhill5913 This reminds me of when, in a push to become more "Green" BMW switched to using biodegradeable plastics for insulating their electrical wires. And yeah, of course the wires fell apart in just a few years. So a vehicle that should've lasted 30+ years didn't last more than 10. Not exactly sustainable IMO. We need to be using things for longer, not throwing them away and buying new things more.

[@Scout339th]

I feel this would be great for 3D printing filament for people that are prototyping before printing in a standard plastic. Would sure make me feel better about throwing away failed prints.

[@AlexusMaximusDE]

Seems unlikely. The process described in this video is that of a thermosetting polymer while you would need a thermoplastic polymer for 3d printing. If you are worried about your prints, print in PLA and find a brand that produces locally. Collect your failed prints and find a place that will compost them. PLA will not compost in a regular compost heap, but it will when shredded finely and put into an industrial composter.

[@daphenomenalz4100]

It won't work i think, or they would have to make another 3d printer which works only for algae

[@christo930]

Now ask them how much diesel they burn through filtering all that water all day.

[@OMGSAMCOPSEY]

Algae seems like a small part of a large solution. Through mixtures of fungus, bamboo and hemp with the proper agricultural growth I really think it could all make a huge dent in the worlds disposable plastic problem.

[@onewordhereonewordthere6975]

I bet the same people that made plastic to begin with already had the algae waiting. Just think when this is released into the environment. And bet your ass it probably already has

[@onewordhereonewordthere6975]

Will just blame it on China and too many humans . DUMBASSES are HERE. Getting smarter everyday .

[@ryanthompson3737]

It should be a big part. Algae is like 300-400x more land efficient for carbon capture than trees are. 1 acre of algae can sequester around 2.5-2.7 tons of CO2 every day whereas an acre of trees does that same figure in a year. The major difference, of course, being the constant maintenance of an algae farm vs a forest.

[@onewordhereonewordthere6975]

@@ryanthompson3737 and there's no way that it could get out of control in the natural environment that was created by a Creator that's way smarter than you and I. An old saying don't mess with mother nature. And to have to find a remedy for a bloodsucker that was not natural. Is obviously the dumbest part of human nature I have found. The definition of nature is without conscience. The same as artificial intelligence. And I bet has a lot to do with the design of this fake algae. That can't possibly harm any 🐚 fish.

[@janami-dharmam]

And bamboos can grow real fast and dense. Bamboo + plastic is the future for wooden furniture.

[@f0t0b0y]

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels on KZbin! I watch it with my kids and we love it!

[@karansainiscmhrd]

The puns were in full bloom this episode.

[@UndecidedMF]

Nice!

[@lancetheking7524]

nice moment

[@orlp353]

-_-

[@ChrispyNut]

Algae and hemp are critical components to combine IMO for the future (along with much more glass use due to its high recyclability, strength, reusability and flexibility for shaping).

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Where did the 5g of micro plastics consumed per week figure come from? That's a shocking number. Several heaping spoonfuls of dryer lint every week. From what source is the bulk of that mass being consumed?

[@sapelesteve]

I had the same question in mind as well! 👍👍

[@alexspadini]

5 grams is less than you think. It’s everywhere - table salt, bottled water, fish, etc.

[@onewordhereonewordthere6975]

They won't understand the joke. Sheep to the slaughter . it's xxxxxxx embarrassing .

[@Nighthawkinlight]

@@alexspadini I think you underestimate how much 5g is. Volume depends on the density, but sticking with typical dryer lint 5g is enough to fill a teacup uncompressed. It's enough to fill a soup spoon with PE pellets.

[@alexspadini]

@@Nighthawkinlight I don’t think it has anything like the density of lint. It’s submersed in liquids and compacted in condiments.

[@ssatva]

Mostly just commenting to help boost because I like the work you're doing so much! I will note that at least for me, a more specific breakdown of what's in these foams other than algae would've been a worthwhile thing to add--there are so many things that aren't nearly as good as they look or try to look, that suspicion is an unfortunately wise default. But having a place where I get to learn about these things is priceless, just as it is now--so thank you.

[@bbbmd2007]

Its good to see lots of people doing stuff to make the world a better place, good job everyone

[@robertclark6694]

I love the writing in this episode. One can only hope that all of this becomes a "Croc." And, yes, I would gladly wear a pair of eco-friendly crocs.

[@showme360]

This is the best news of the year, I for one will be investigating an Algae plant myself as a business proposition!

[@NetZeroTech]

Exciting to see that algae shoe prices are going into the direction of traditional footwear. Nice work! 😊

[@fbbinoire201]

but algae shoes last only 1 year

[@NetZeroTech]

Hi @@fbbinoire201 , I would think that depends on the algae material and shoe layout. I am curious about the statistics, though. 😊

[@jimurrata6785]

They are still _less than 30%_ algae though... I'm looking forward to a product that is produced from "waste" rather than one that requires pumping millions of gallons of murky water and millions of dollars of new infrastructure to create. Less nitrogen spread as fertilizer and better processing of human created black water would go a long way in reducing harmful algae blooms.

[@NetZeroTech]

@@jimurrata6785 Good points. 👍

[@jimurrata6785]

@@NetZeroTech 55.000l of water pumped to extract a single kg of algae seems resource intensive to me. But I too would like footwear and clothing that wouldn't effect the planet for generations to come. 👍

[@pr0xZen]

My first question is: How exactly is it composted to achieve full biodegredation in 6 months? We don't need another polylactic acid'esque plastic (PLA), that's only compostable in the hottest industrial composting facilities out there. We also don't need partial mix products, because the non-biodegradeable 50% of a product in the rivers, oceans and landfills, still cause much the same harm as 100%. If we're gonna mix, then it has to be done with products that are incredibly simple and easy for consumers to "disassemble" and separate correctly before throwing away, and educate the masses in doing so. Blended plastics might have its usefulness as a driver for development towards completely biodegradeable. But it's incredibly important that it gets treated as non biodegradable until then. A partially biodegraded plastic body in nature, especially a mixed blend so you're basically left with a sponge-like mass of non-biodegradeable plastic - is gonna further deteriorate into microplastics MUCH faster than an intact 100% non biodegradable one.

[@peypey_it_is]

Didn't he say 6 month on a compost pile?

[@pr0xZen]

@@peypey_it_is That's what they said in early days about PLA too.

[@user-vp1sc7tt4m]

I agree, what does it look like if someone forgets their flip flops on a beach and they are washed out into the ocean, sit in the middle of the Pacific or eventually wash ashore? What happens if someone drops their flip flops while walking to the beach on a sandy trail? What happens if a walking shoe made of this material is discarded in various environments? Maybe we need to establish a means of assessing the natural composting capability of products that is practical and real that we can all equate with.

[@carlosandleon]

@@user-vp1sc7tt4m considering they're flipflops, they become habitat for algae and fish. It's not surprising, corals readily grown around plastic waste. It's not an ideal phenomenon but it's not dramatic neither. In fact if you go reef cleaning. It is discouraged to remove plastic waste that is already heavily incorporated into coral growth.

[@horiama]

I'm pretty sure I miss out on some of the brilliant research you do for these videos as I eagerly await putting together the pieces of your carefully orchestrated witticisms :)

[@mikiethebikie]

Thanks Matt I always appreciate your contribution to our betterment.

[@thecaptain9942]

I saw your videos on net zero housing and thought they were cool which made me think you should do a video on Monolithic dome homes. They are homes that are basically made from shotcrete (air pressurized concrete shot at a wall to make it a more compacted form of concrete there for stronger than regularly poured). In terms of heating costs the entire thing is basically a giant thermal battery and since its made of of shotcrete it is virtually airtight except for doors. Also yes it does require a lot of concrete which isn't very carbon neutral however to be fair if you build one of those homes they will absolutely outlast you and probably your grandkids so you wouldn't be required to say get a new roof if a tree fell on it since these things could probably take a bomb to it and still be structurally safe. Another thing to note is those homes are rated by FEMA as shelters for disasters which brings me to another point that back in the mid 2000's there was a guy in Florida who actually stayed inside his monolithic home DURING A HURICANE and survived with a news crew who stayed with him (its a wild story I'm sure you can find) and the house survived completely intact. I find it especially interesting since after all the damage from the recent hurricane you would think people would stop building houses that can just be absolutely destroyed every certain amount of years when a big hurricane comes by and we all know another is coming whether sooner or later. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of challenges and issues with these houses like the other ones you looked at such as low resale value since there is not really a market for these homes and some communities might not let you build them altogether because a big concrete dome is not really an appealing look (but there are some people who do just cover them in dirt and turn them into a hobbit house so lets all be honest and just admit having a hobbit house would be awesome) among other issues too. You should definitely make a video about them I think it would be a cool video for you to do.

[@lumiukko4296]

I always check what materials clothes are made of before bying. I only buy natural textiles which sadly mostly means cutton and I know it's not ideal to planet either (been trying to focus on linen lately but it's way more expensive). It annoyis me how most clothes are made of polyester or other plastic based clothing. It also means I can't buy most of what clothing stores offer. It's not just an environmental choice, also because I feel the plastic made clothes don't breathe so you end up sweaty.

[@dfcx1]

I was going to buy flip-flops this summer, but when I held them in my hand I felt like I was just holding future plastic garbage and suddenly didn't want them anymore. Would've loved something like this instead.

[@amicloud_yt]

why not instead buy some actually nice flip flops that will last you years and years instead of cheapo $5 ones that WILL just become future plastic garbage

[@mrdingles5107]

Is the alternative better?

[@edvardmunch6344]

Just buy espadrilles

[@danost5853]

A $60 pair of sandals seems to last me about 10 years before going to the landfill. That's about the same amount of money as spending $5 on cheap flip-flops each year and the sandals are way more comfortable to me. YMMV.

[@amicloud_yt]

@@danost5853 if you can manage to get a $5 pair to even last a while year

[@tskillz]

It just keeps getting better as you talk like please People let’s promote this it’s genius!!

[@sleepylilturtle760]

I'd be incredibly interested in a hemp+algae sneaker. Startup idea in the making! :D

[@janami-dharmam]

help fiber will not come cheap. Other body parts may be out of bounds.

[@daos3300]

the world doesn't need more startups.

[@AarvinMS]

Check out "Mango Leather" start up in Netherlands.

[@vanjosh7763]

This is amazing that there's a renewable source for plastic production. However, the problem of plastic still remains which is that it takes a very long time for it to degrade in nature. Pollution is still a major problem for it, and hopefully, someday there will be a more efficient and less resource-hungry way in truly recycling it.

[@romant1127]

I wonder how do these 6-months-till-degraded shoes survive in damp and warm environment with lots of bacteria. Like being worn on human feet for example. This algae foam is cool and it sure has it's uses but getting rid of packaging seems like a better way to help the ecology. I buy new shoes maybe every eight months or so but I have to eat every single day.

[@velrethar]

Yeah, seems like the durability of the shoes would be pretty low, especially in these environments

[@kingz_danklv3683]

Algae shoes are cheaper than traditional shoes and you can easily buy another one if degrade.

[@real_andrii]

@@kingz_danklv3683 my current flip-flops are 5 years old, Crocs are 6 years old and I am hoping to get 10 more out of them. Plastic waste is less of a problem when you 1) use product for a long time, 2) recycle

[@adlifiruz808]

@@real_andrii fr man, we need to consume less

[@dfunckt]

I had the same thought. After a few days wearing them am I going to have slimy decomposing footwear? Seems like a poor choice of product for the material.

[@iancormie9916]

One big question for this material and for synthetic leathers is how well do they stand up to constant use? - The world is full of faux leathers that fall apart after two days of use.

[@TrogdorBurnin8or]

Is the algae actually contributing anything in bloom foam? You can make concrete or asphalt macadam out of practically any filler as long as you include the key binder.

[@aronseptianto8142]

in theory yes, because algae is almost literally primordial raw oil

[@TheHuntermj]

Also the 45-55% plastic holding the bloom foam together will spread far more quickly than regular plastic because it degrades much faster!

[@LoganMaclaren]

Dude, I gotta admit that in some episodes I have to watch twice, because I start paying more attention to how many jokes and puns you can insert about the theme that you're discussing than to the theme itself. KEEP DOING IT! :-))

[@truckerslater1753]

Great video as always Matt, gives me hope and inspiration at a time when so many aspects of our world seem to be coming apart. Yes I will be ordering some of these shoes and would love to get involved in this industry

[@UndecidedMF]

Thanks for watching! I want to buy a pair too.

[@danielhanawalt4998]

This is very interesting for me. I have a small water feature in my back yard. Two small pools, one a little higher that runs down a little stream bed to a lower pool and a small pump to send the water back to the upper pool. I've had a dark green algae growing in all of it before and this past summer, a lot of it. Grows fast. I've been scooping it out and putting it around plants and flowers around the pools figuring it might be good fertilizer.

[@_potatomeister5959]

While it's a good step towards the right direction, the composition of algae plastic to tradition plastic in Bloom foam is still pretty low. In a Business Insider video with Bloom cofounder Ryan Hunt, he mentioned that algae pellets only made up anywhere from 10 to 30% of the final foam material. What I'm really curious about is how algae plastic will perform beyond foam like materials and I'm really excited to see the industry, well... bloom. Edit: I also wonder how other plastic alternatives fare against algae based plastic. Seaweed and hemp are two other alternatives I've heard of

[@jackhemsworth7515]

that means Bloom are only solving 30% of a problem. i'd be interested to see if there's 100% algae shoes in production, i also like merino wool as it's a natural product.

[@UndecidedMF]

Good points to raise. I've been looking into hemp recently, so might have a video on that at some point.

[@janami-dharmam]

except for the thin polyethylene plastic carry bags, most common items have 30-50% of fillers- fibers or particles of non-plastic origin. The plastic basically acts as a glue

[@janami-dharmam]

@@UndecidedMF help cultivation is highly water intensive and polluting.

[@johnny1498]

@@UndecidedMF please do! I keep hearing about it but don’t see it being used much yet

[@lakebafondren5868]

This is good news. Thank you for your hard work. Can't wait to help move this vision forward.

[@LuminothLumi]

FYI, as someone who works with PVC and PU, I can attest that both are perfectly recyclable. We do it on a daily basis. Whilst PVC can be recycled to produce PVC based products, usually PU represents only a minor coating that can be integrated as part of PVC recycling process. In fact, most plastics are recyclable when isolated. Combinations of polymers (and diverging glass transition temperatures) is what makes them harder to recycle as a whole, since before the reshaping heat, they need to first either be separated by physical methods or micronized and both being expensive and energy intensive steps.

[@PRiMETECHAU]

In practice however; most plastics end up in the ocean, and thus not recycled. ;-)

[@LuminothLumi]

@@PRiMETECHAU How do you back that claim? Maybe items with smaller dimensions and microplastics, but items with bigger dimensions such as window frames, flooring, fridge doors, etc mostly end in a landfill, rather than the ocean. In any case, neither is a consequence of their incapacity yo be recycled, but rather because product designs don't consider recyclability nor there being a sufficient recycling infrastructure/capacity.

[@saureco]

The process of pyrolisis can also recycle hydrocarbon plastics back into a liquid fuel form. Used in conjunction with modern catalytic converters and scrubbers, we have another vector of diesel fuel production.

[@LuminothLumi]

@@saureco But that is quite selective. For PU and PVC you would have nitrogen and chloride atoms in the fuel which generate chlohydric acid and nitric acid when burning up, hence a no go. You don't want to burn people's lungs... 😅

[@saureco]

@@LuminothLumi even in oxygen-free pyrolisis?

[@noelmusk5673]

Had a mate working on an algae based solar panel many moons ago. Had the top membrane sorted was just trying to get a long life stable base matrice. Getting about 6 months at that stage.

[@kingmasterlord]

let's also keep in mind that there's a dude on KZbin that made yeast produce spider silk for fun. imagine spider silk reinforced algae bioplastics. there's also mycelium to consider

[@hulknwill]

I feel like Kiwami Japan is light years ahead of the rest of us when it comes to making new plastics

[@j.jastner8374]

Consistently thoughtful and well-constructed videos! You had me wondering about the massive algal blooms out in the open ocean I've heard about. Could that help the supply chain or is the algae type very specific for what will work to replace plastics?

[@kimlibera663]

Indeed yes. It might also help us skim the green algae off the eutrophied ponds. Recently tried some picnic items-plates made of sugar cane leaves & the cutlery made of seawood. Plastic eliminated on this item does not go to the landfill.

[@tgh5432]

It is hard to believe that shoe production produces 450 billion lbs of CO2 each year. Thats more than 50 lbs per person on earth. Somebody is buying lots of shoes...

[@dianapennepacker6854]

That is crazy. Reminds me of... So I am super skeptical about it, but I've read one and a half of a pair of jeans costs the same amount of water to manufacture, as all the lithium required for a small Tesla battery pack. Refined and all. Something like 3 cups of coffee takes the same amount of water as well. I don't know if that means lithium water usages isn't as bad as stated. Or that those products are stupidly inefficient to make. I don't understand how that is true. I can't find the site Google sent me while looking sadly to tell you where I saw it.

[@HepCatJack]

Seaweed from which the salt is rinsed out supplying fiber for mycelium to form a cork like sole that is compressed into shape. It could also be used to make particle boards instead of using saw dust and chemical glue.

[@rso823]

If the algae decomposes after 12 weeks does that mean the flipflops will decompose while you’re wearing them

[@PureVenomthe1]

No. He said IN SOIL.

[@wtidowu]

my question as well

[@UndecidedMF]

Nope. It only decomposes when composted.

[@xybersurfer]

@@UndecidedMF oh. that's good to know. that was my big question too

[@freelunatwo]

Hiking around Sunnyvale, California’s bayside trails, I observed a huge amount of algae foam growing on the treated water from the sewage treatment plant - it was in the last step of the treatment before releasing the cleaned water into the bay. I imagine with a little fiddling, that algae could be harvested for the plastic makers. Maybe it already is. I do appreciate processes which serve a dual purpose: removing nitrates from the water, and harvesting a manufacturing feedstock.

[@stanmiczka]

Great video, but please, could you also use the metric system ? I need to pause your video each time you only use the imperial system, otherwise it doesn't make any sense Except that, your work is amazing ^^

[@thatkindcoder7510]

These ocean puns sure are growing on me. It's nice that the improve the flow of the video, and fish out new phrases I don't sea often.

[@naab007]

As a man that buys new footwear every 5-10 years.. they will have to show splendid durability for me to even consider them.. and they will have to last at least 3 years without degrading.

[@pwnmeisterage]

Footwear which biodegrades (disintegrates) within a year? I admit I find the notion unappealing. But many (most) people are more fashion conscious (fixated) than we are ... I say that if they're going to insist on buying new footwear every month anyhow then maybe they can demonstrate their environmental consciousness/ethics by wearing self-disintegrating stuff made out of paper.

[@FalkonNightsdale]

I usually swap shoes in about 2-year cycles, as that is usually the breaking point, where the sole is so grinded off, that the sole starts breaking… However, I have a female flatmate - and she has like 30 pairs of shoes, some of them which look nearly identical to me. And she wears them usually just a few times before they start falling apart. Scratches, torn clasps, etc. can render them useless… So, for that purpose, I guess algae could be awesome…

[@dustinherk8124]

the price of shoes would have to drop a huge factor to justify the loss in durability in its trade off for being environmentally cleaner. those $800 Jordon's better be selling for about $30. those cheapo walmart "dad" shoes better be selling for literal dimes.

[@FalkonNightsdale]

@@dustinherk8124 There are no machine-produced* shoes, that can justify pricetag above ~$200 *In case of hand-made bespoke leather shoes, it's different, but those shoes are meant to last decades - and even prince Charles had his shoes repaired rather than replaced…

[@van_trini13]

Matt your videos give me so much hope buddy. Thanks!!!

[@kthwkr]

If they degrade in a land fill in 6 months then they will degrade similarly in my closet. So when summer comes and I pull out last years flip flops they fall to pieces. So I have to buy a new pair. The flip flops I'm wearing right now are about 10 years old and are still just fine. Replacing a product with one that doesn't last near as long is an environmental hazard.

[@Coladudetje]

When i bought those cheap plastic flip flops they woudnt also last a year, for some people those algae flip flops can be some good deal if they want clean shoes every year. I bought now leather ones and also using them for 4 years. But often shoes or flip flops gets a bit smelly if you dont replace them every year and in some its like your toes are melting into them. A good water clean with some soap helps but not sure all bacteria would get out completely, but if u do that with plastic flops it disintegrates or breaks something, so leather flops it is. I like leather coats leather shoes leather belts it just last longer and its cheaper in the long term for me.

[@higurashikai09]

If your closet is exposed to the same elements as a landfill, I suggest you ensure that there are no water leaks in your closet, that you don't keep so much stuff in there that it compresses, and allow fresh air inside. Otherwise you would need drains for leachate and vents for methane gas while the content decays. It's incredible that you'd be able to remove anything from your closet under those conditions... 👇 Trust me, your closet is nothing like a landfill unless you live at a landfill which means you have worse concerns than flip-flops.

[@crowaust]

I had similar thoughts when I heard the timeframes for degrading. I looked at my rack of shoes, 8 pairs of shoes only 1 pair under 5 years old, and that was my black work shoes (leather upper cross trainers) which are about 2 or 3 years old, and probably about to wear through because I walk to and from work everyday in them. Unless the Algae shoes can last at least that long, and if they are the same price as the normal shoes, I don't want them. Basically the price to longevity/wear ratio has to be right.

[@marrqi7wini54]

@@crowaust I definitely see that point. These shoes may be much better for the environment but logistics has to come into play. How long can these shoes last? How durable are they? How much do they cost? Ideally you want all three of these aspects to be at acceptable margins for these to be a worthwhile purchase.

[@JessWLStuart]

Great idea and video! Also, so many shoe and foot puns! And the segue was Brilliant!

[@flibblebot]

Matt: Who doesn't like a nice pair of Crocs? Me: Find me a nice pair, and I'll let you know 🤣🤣

[@devanarayans5131]

Underrated 😂😂

[@odthegreatest]

I love the subjects you select and how you narrate it. Thank you.

[@Csonic6]

Love this video but can we get a pun counter in the corner? i'm starting to think more about the puns than the facts!

[@UndecidedMF]

😂

[@adnefs45]

Spot on Matt. Algi and Fungi transport co2 in op. Algi as New plastic. Good work. Natural coloring.

[@nunyobiznez875]

11:11 "Do you want to wear a pair of algae based shoes or flip-flops?" Well, when you put it like that, ...no lol. But, I would definitely like to wear shoes that are 100% biodegradable. Well, just as long as they don't start "biodegrading" shortly after I buy them. But otherwise, I'd like to see 100% biodegradable plastic replace all traditional plastic products.

[@UndecidedMF]

Fair enough.

[@paultoensing3126]

You will the internet prize for most densely injected puns in a piece. Wonderful content also!

[@nathanleroi6736]

Thank you for this video and your videos in general. You bring very interesting topics on the table to think about!

[@Gwarnine]

I am so sick and tired of seeing your videos on my feed. I watched one video. ONE! and now all I see are your smart, highly produced videos full of interesting ideas and fantastic b roll shots. your making all my other channels look bad lol. like an idiot I just subscribed to your channel, because I should have subscribed a long time ago. I'm also happy to see that you ONLY have 179 videos. So I can look forward to more content. Thank you for your work, I can't wait to see more! I'm also a KZbin premium subscriber, so I hope that helps your channel out too. thank you thank you thank you!

[@corallina8781]

Matt, this video is exactly what I was looking for, awesome content!

[@BLOOMMATERIALS]

Thanks for the shoutout! We have exciting things to come!

[@Zoomfreaky]

Haha who doesn’t want a good pair of Crocs. Glad I am not the only one. Thank you for the information. So much positive going on, it seems to drown sometimes in a sea of negative and doom and gloom. Glad this floated up in my stream. I needed it. As always…enjoyed your video.

[@juliantuellinghoff1863]

I love your channel! Thanks for changing the world one video at a time!

[@davincidamaster5311]

These videos are so well edited!

[@senor135]

another great video. please keep up the great work, Matt!

[@akshaysrivastava1270]

Dude your videos are amazing and so informative.. I don't know if you'll get to read about it, but recently there have been some very significant developments in the domain of photocatalytic hydrogen production.. I think it would be a great topic for this channel. Keep up the great work.

[@thomaskn1012]

Thanks Matt for making this video! Please keep us updated on this new technology.

[@UndecidedMF]

Will do!

[@c.t.murray3632]

I love the idea of algae sneakers and flip-flops. the best part is that combined with growing hemp it could help reduce CO2 emissions as well as help clean up a rivers of algae. Thanks

[@andreweverett]

love the content! you're part of the solution for sure - keep up the good work

[@Esserka]

I love that there is alternatives everywhere. Hope it's not greenwashing ! Great informations thanks

[@jonathangillette215]

That’s so great. How well do they hold up to wear. If they biodegrade in a landfill in 6 months do they hold up for use very long when they get wet etc? How does that work?

[@amuaiz]

I love the sustainable usage of renewable puns

[@ackeethree]

yes, you have an extra viewer. nowadays people would give money to learn something new. I personally never wear flip flops but I support the idea 100%. since I was a child, I have always followed my path to nature. for plants and animals. this video changed my day intelligence caresses my soul. a touch of music and a pleasant person. and also a member of Boyan Slat for 9 years because I live in Belgium, we follow that closely. thank you for this video

[@karolinakuc4783]

Flip flops are bad for spinal cord and easy to lose. It is one of the biggest junk on Earth. Quite literary coz you can see a lot of lost flip flops on beaches

[@knightwolf3511]

i think depending on whats being used Alga for most but plastic thats needs to last a long time like pallets that breaks after a few years made from wood. but straws can be used for algae longer life needs something that last longer, shorter can be recycled and such

[@howardjohnson2138]

I'm finding your presentations really interesting. Thank you

[@mattwhaley1865]

We can also replace most, if not all the products we have TODAY by using hemp. Definitely should look into making a video on how much use you can get just from growing and using hemp.

[@ricktablelander5043]

I have back problems and an algae based foam sandal with contoured base would be perfect for me and others. Having a arch support and soft foam heel support would be awesome

[@bobrenda1618]

Love these vids. Would like to see follow up videos to hear about progress on some of the new technologies.

[@don.timeless4993]

the plastic being everywhere & even in our diet is so sad I hope this other more efficient solutions works in the near future!

[@ryanaiden]

These are the kinds of companies we need. Awesome video man!

[@EmbeddedWithin]

I need some sleep, I read your comment as “these are kind of the weed companies weed nee

[@franciscohidalgo6589]

Not related, but this video made me think how this can count as an essay, and that made me remember I had to deliver my essay to my teacher yesterday

[@oloilmann4288]

Thanks Matt Ferrell for all the great videos! I learn so much from them!

[@danielwhite237]

I can see this being used in almost everything that plastic is being used right now. Togo containers, cosmetics packaging and food packaging etc.

[@blairsmith4761]

that bit about jason momoa 10:01 killed me i have been watching stargate atlantis and i just imagened ronin running through the jungle throwing flip flops at the wraith

[@fahim026]

This is the video i am looking for from you. Please also make video about biodiesel made from algae

[@Saintdog000]

You deserve so much more subscribers and viewers!

[@peterclark6290]

Some good news. Regenerative Agriculture (when the soil is fully converted from just dirt) requires zero fertiliser or biocides. This releases tons of fertiliser for use in creating algal blooms but as RA farms need less heavy equipment the demand for fuels decreases as well.

[@Mathew_007-speakee]

Price doesn't matter , good product , eco friendly ...so all should support this company for mass production and help environment where we all live .

[@GriceldaAlma]

Good we need to get this done

[@موسى_7]

An alternative to mycelium. So for food packages such as candy wrappers, algae. For chairs and hard things, maybe even car interiors (you know how full of plastic they are): mycelium. But for drinks containers, I think metal and glass, being re-used a thousand times, will be better.

[@djcorza]

The drive to find alternatives to petroleum plastics is very exciting. I look forward to wearing algae (etc.) shoes :)

[@juliadean2473]

This is all brilliant. Love the style and look of the products - is it up to good marketing now!? I read about an Indonesian guy using algae for food packaging - hopefully that will soon be taking off.

[@momstheword11]

Wow, now I know what I am getting my family for Christmas! Thanks Matt!

[@marshmallow_fellow]

I'm so glad you meant making shoes out of algae and not using foot fungus for manufacturing

[@deathsalomon795]

I am trying to reduce the plastic I use - I stopped buying shampoo etc and use a bar of natural soap. It does the same and lasts much longer. And I started to buy clothes wit cotton only. But I notice it's increasingly hard to find 😅😅😅

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

Algae powered biofuel and bioplastic is in development since probably the 90s - 30 years ago! Like Biofuel, bioplastic too has the problem of scale and yield. AKA it takes a way more time, land and other resource just to produce a small percentage.

[@alkimadsiz4867]

At every new video I say: Im so happy that I started to follow this channel. It is super that everyday I grow up intellectualy.😎👍🏾

[@NoidoDev]

Two years later they seem to be discontinued and sold out. Also, a lot of plant based products seem to have issue with durability. Hmm.

[@sennabullet]

Fantastic, super education video. I want to go hunt for some algae now and see if I can't make a pair of flip flops!

[@georgevanhoesen8720]

Checkout the United States did almost 25 years of research in to using algae as a replacement for bio diesel. Also PB spent hundreds of millions on this and then dropped the issue as prices for fuel were low. The USA's research should have value for the people working with algae. The conclusion was that at $39.00 per barrel for algae bio diesel no one would buy it. Sad think to think about. This type of product would short cycle the carbon cycle.

[@joe7272]

It's good for luxury brands like vivobarefoot to adopt this emerging technology since they can actually afford the cost and spread the technology.