It’s been raining like there’s no tomorrow in my part of the world. These days, I find myself carrying an umbrella more often than my laptop. I’ll admit, recently I’ve broken a couple and tossed them into the bin without a second thought about where they might end up. If it weren’t for Greenstart’s ambitious idea of the biodegradable umbrella, I wouldn’t have realized that I’ve unknowingly contributed to the more than 1 billion umbrellas discarded globally each year. That’s a staggering amount of plastic, metal, and synthetic fabric waste, most of which is impossible to recycle.
This project, a 100 percent biodegradable umbrella, is therefore about more than a product you can use guilt-free. It’s a viable solution to the everyday problem of convenience contributing to uncontrolled waste. The Greenstart umbrella is designed with “the end in mind.” It naturally decomposes after its designated usage period, significantly reducing plastic pollution from traditional umbrellas. But that conscious change comes for a stiff price.
It’s not just waste, frankly, none of us like soggy umbrellas in the backpack. Made from kraft paper and bio-based materials, the Greenstart biodegradable umbrella is meant for single use, so you don’t have to deal with a wet one. The construction material may sound obnoxious, since we are talking about rain, it’s designed to protect us from, but designers say their effort of one year makes it strong enough to handle a storm and gentle enough to gracefully decompose in the earth.
The Greenstart makes their umbrellas from sustainable materials, chiefly kraft paper used for the canopy and bioplastics forming the frame and handle. The biodegradable umbrellas come in two models: a 24-hour model and a 7-day model. The former comprises wax-coated kraft paper, and is meant for short-term use, a festival, event, or an emergency. A 7-day umbrella is a more robust and viable option, which features durable PHA coating on kraft paper for a longer lifespan. There is no test data to confirm the intensity and the longevity of the downpour it can handle, but the designers confirm it is “rain-ready for multiple days.”
Greenstart, a Norwegian start-up, specializes in innovative, eco-friendly solutions. The biodegradable umbrella is only the first in a series of upcoming products aimed at reducing single-use plastic waste and promoting sustainable alternatives worldwide.
Designed to be lightweight, fully functional, and absolutely eco-friendly, Greenstart umbrella is compostable at home or in nature, after its lifespan. If you’re interested in the mission of a plastic-free future, the biodegradable umbrellas are available for preorder via a Kickstarter campaign now. Exclusive early bird reward can get you a starter duo (1 x 24-hour and 1 x 7-day) for $39, and a family pack (2 x 24-hour and 2 x 7-day) for $69. Other purchase options are also up for the taking.
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