News
Has a student from Iceland just saved the planet from plastic pollution?

Product design student Ari Jónsson from Iceland has combined red algae powder with water to create a biodegradable bottle.
Jónsson – who studies at the Iceland Academy of the Arts – exhibited the project during this year’s Reykjavik design festival DesignMarch, which took place from the 10th to 13th March 2016.
After reading about the amount of waste plastic produced every day, the designer felt an “urgent” need to develop a replacement material.
“I read that 50 per cent of plastic is used once and then thrown away, so I feel there is an urgent need to find ways to replace some of the unreal amount of plastic we make, use and throw away each day,” said Jónsson. “Why are we using materials that take hundreds of years to break down in nature to drink from once and then throw away?”
He began studying the strengths and weaknesses of different materials to determine what could be suitable for use as a water bottle. Eventually he came across a powdered form of agar, a substance made from algae.
When agar powder is added to water, it forms a jelly-like material. After experimenting to find the right proportions, Jónsson slowly heated the substance before pouring it into a bottle-shaped mould that had been kept in the freezer.
He then rotated the mould while submerged in a bucket of ice-cold water, until the liquid inside has taken the shape of the bottle.
It was then placed in a refrigerator for a few minutes before the agar bottle was extracted from the mould.
As long as the bottle is full of water, it will keep its shape, but as soon as it is empty – it will begin to decompose.
“If it fails, or if the bottom is too thin or it has a hole in it, I can just reheat it and pour it into the mould again,” said Jónsson.
As the bottle is made from 100% natural materials, the water stored inside it is safe to drink – although Jónsson noted that after a while it may extract a small amount of taste from the bottle.
He even suggested that if the user likes the taste, they should bite the bottle itself when you have finished drinking.
Designers are increasingly experimenting with seaweed and other forms of algae. Seaweed has recently been used as architectural cladding and to create lampshades, while algae provided a base material to form a yarn for weaving rugs and a dye for colouring textiles. Algae has even been implemented as an energy source to power buildings.
Jónsson’s algae bottles were presented at the Drifting Cycles student exhibition, which was held during DesignMarch 2016 inside a remote lighthouse.
Source: www.dezeen.com
Competitions
WIN a Bigblue Expandable Tray!!!

For this week’s competition, we’ve teamed up with our good friends at Liquid Sports to give away a Bigblue Expandable Tray as a prize!!!
The Bigblue expandable tray (176mm-287mm) has fittings and screws to attach action and compact cameras. The base and handles are made from high grade aluminium with the handles having a neoprene grip. The package also includes clamps and adaptors for 1” ball and YS light fittings.
To be in with a chance of winning this awesome prize, all you have to do is answer the following question:
In a recent post on Scubaverse.com (which you can read here), we reported that the Handicapped Scuba Association South Africa has announced plans to host their 6th Annual fundraising event “HSASA 50hr Dive–A-Thon 2021” this year. But on what dates will the event take place?
Is it:
- A) 15th – 17th October
- B) 22nd – 24th October
- C) 29th – 31st October
Answer, A, B or C to the question above:
Dive Training Blogs
Jeff chats to… Jim Elliott and Tinamarie Hernandez of Diveheart (Watch Video)

In this exclusive Zoom interview, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Jim Elliott, Founder and President of Diveheart, and Tinamarie Hernandez who is the organization’s Executive Director.
Diveheart is a US-based, nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization which aims to provide and support educational scuba diving programs that are open to any child, adult or veteran with a disability, with the hope of providing both physical and psychological therapeutic value to that person.
In their own words:
We’ve discovered the forgiving, weightless wonder of the water column provides the perfect gravity-free environment for those who might otherwise struggle on land. Underwater, we’re all equal.
Diveheart works with individuals who have a variety of disabilities, including physical and developmental disabilities, vision and hearing impairments, amputations, traumatic brain injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and more. Diveheart seeks to help its participants “Imagine the Possibilities” in their lives.
Find out more about Diveheart and their valuable work at www.diveheart.org.
Rather listen to a podcast? Listen to the audio HERE on the new Scubaverse podcast channel at Anchor FM.
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