Mangroves act as a carbon sink, and are one of the top carbon-storing ecosystems on the planet. Capable of capturing and storing carbon from the atmosphere, at a rate as much as ten times more than mature tropical forests. Furthermore, mangroves boost biodiversity and reinforce coastlines creating resilience from flooding and extreme weather events. Mangroves grow in equatorial regions, thriving in the salt water of coastal and intertidal zones, their vast root systems become natural defences to protect against flooding and tsunamis as well as providing habitats for a huge array of wildlife. The planting of billions of mangrove trees is planned by multiple countries, to increase carbon capture and advance net zero ambitions.

Currently most mangroves are planted in plastic polybags, which break down as the trees grow, increases carbon emissions, creates plastic pollution and undermines the credibility of the carbon capture programmes. The plastic might get washed out to the sea or get stuck in the roots, but it will never go away - only degrading into microplastics which pollutes the environment, harms ecosystems and contributes to global warming.

The Sustainable Solution

Solinatra and ATMI IGI, together through our Centre of Excellence, have partnered with mangrove arboretums in Indonesia to create 100% biodegradable mangrove pots made with Solinatra materials.

Solinatra is a 100% natural, plant-based material that biodegrades in land and marine environments without leaving behind microplastics or any harmful contaminants. The mangrove pots made of Solinatra offer mangroves seeds proper protection and growth opportunity ensuring high survival rates of the newly planted mangroves.

Following this project, our focus extends to conducting research on biomaterial planting pots as substitutes for conventional polybags and in-depth analysis of the effects of temperature and humidity to determine the optimum thickness of Solinatra mangrove pots using experimental methods.

Solinatra pots have demonstrated a remarkable increase in the survival rate of mangrove plantings, leading to a reduction in planting costs and accelerating carbon capture processes.

Mangroves grow in coastal and intertidal waters, as the plant grows its roots break through the pot. Traditionally planted in plastic polybags, the broken plastic cannot be recovered - and pollutes the environment, eroding into microplastics. Pots made of Solinatra are 100% natural, and as the growing plant breaks the pot there is zero pollution or microplastics released!