Ooho! balloon lets you eat water, cuts down plastic waste

The bubble-like spheres were first made by a trio of engineers in 2014. However, the inventors are now fundraising to get their edible bottles out in the market.

The engineers said their mission statement is to make packaging waste disappear. Ooho! is a sustainable packaging alternative to plastic bottles and cups, made from a seaweed extract, they mentioned in their crowdfunding page. It is entirely biodegradable and so natural you can actually eat it. 

Ooho sachets are flexible packets of water, drunk by tearing a hole and pouring into your mouth, or consumed whole.

“Our packaging is cheaper than plastic and can encapsulate any beverage including water, soft drinks, spirits, and even cosmetics.” The Ooho sphere has a double gelatinous membrane. It is made using a mixture of sodium alginate, taken from brown algae, and calcium chloride. 

The spheres are created using gelification - a technique used in cooking to convert liquids into gel by adding an edible gelling agent. 

The engineers are now raising around $500,000 (£400,000) so that they can bring their product to market. Each globule contains 250ml of water. The spheres cost approximately 2 cents a unit to make. There is currently no retail price.

The team hopes to start selling their squishy spheres at music festivals and marathons within 12 months. Liquid forms drops because the liquid exhibits surface tension, said Ooho!’s creators Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, Pierre Paslier and Guillaume Couche. 

Bounded completely or almost completely by free surfaces, Ooho replicates this behaviour, encircling the water in an edible membrane of algae.