Are Edible Water Bottles The Future?

The environmentally friendly product just got a big jump on funding

Billions of plastic water bottles are used annually around the globe, and they take between 450 to 1,000 years to biodegrade. Skipping Rocks Lab, a team of designer students in London, is hoping to replace them with edible water balloons called Ooho, The Telegraph reports.

The pouch, which is bite-sized, can be popped into a thirsty person's mouth, packaging and all. The outside, which comes wrapped in a thin sheet to keep it sanitary, is made from seaweed extract that's flavorless and can be filled with water, soft drinks or alcohol.

The project has been in the works for a few years at this point, but the team is nearing production, obtaining its first commercial license recently and raking in £693,820 from 832 investors in a crowdsourcing campaign that still has 24 days left. Skipping Rocks Lab plans to pilot the product, which it says is cheaper to make than a plastic bottle, this year and then start distributing the pouches at marathons and music festivals in 2018.