A Sustainable and Recyclable Covid-19 Test to Solve Millions of Plastic Waste

In 2020, when COVID-19 appeared in Indonesia, as many as 125,000 test kits were distributed to 34 provinces by the Indonesian government. With one rapid test kit, we sent 10 grams of plastic to the landfill, meaning that at that time the Indonesian government had collected 125 kg of plastic waste. That's not even taking into account the tens of millions of other rapid tests purchased every week.

Jo Barnard, Founder of Morrama and creative director, has unveiled a prototype for a biodegradable and recyclable COVID-19 testing kit that aims to reduce the environmental impact of current tests. This biodegradable COVID-19 testing kit that can be used in the field has been dubbed "Eco-Flo". The goal is to make it more environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and accessible to people with disabilities. 

Sophisticated quality in saliva testing has been incorporated into Eco-Flo. Silva can be collected and used inside the test without the use of a buffer solution by using a Parallel Amplified Saliva rapid POint-of-caRe Test (PASPORT). The Eco-Flo package is constructed of printed paper pulp with a biodegradable NatureFlex film on the outside. And it is expected to decompose in 4-6 weeks.

Photo source: Morrama

Focus on creating a better user experience. Users only need to spit on the ECO-FLO absorbent pad, close the test package, and press the printed button. It only takes 15 minutes to transfer the sample from the absorbent pad to the test strip. There are no additional pamphlets because all instructions are displayed right on the test, and they are made easier to read by replacing the scientific notation used today—such as "C" for "control" and "T" for "test"—with simple checkboxes. Packaging is a product, according to Morrama's definition.

Eco-Flo is still in trials (lab condition PCR tests are 99.5% accurate) and has to be licensed for use in home testing as soon as possible. Another British firm, SureScreen Diagnostics, has announced that it would begin testing biodegradable COVID-19 made from plant-based materials in the near future, removing one source of plastic from kits.