![\"\"](\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2022\/01\/Ines-Schiller-679x1024-1.jpeg\")
Vyld is not Europe\u2019s only startup tackling tampons; UK-based Daye has raised over $5m in funds for a CBD tampon, while Callaly has developed a \u201ctampliner\u201d, or tampon and liner in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schiller says that Vyld\u2019s long-term vision is to create an \u201calgaeverse\u201d \u2014 establishing seaweed as a regenerative raw material to be used in a wide range of products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why seaweed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Seaweed has been used in the medical field for decades and has a wide range of applications: from dental impressions and medical glue to wound dressings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The plant is anti-inflammatory and highly absorbent, says Schiller, making it a good substitute for viscose and cotton which are the primary materials currently used in tampons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChemicals are used in the process of turning fibres into [traditional] tampons which you just don\u2019t want in your body,\u201d says Schiller, adding that the vaginal wall is very permeable, meaning that chemicals are able to pass easily into the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As well as being a healthier alternative, Vyld\u2019s kelpon is also kinder to the planet. Seaweed is biodegradable on land and water. It doesn\u2019t require fertilisers, pesticides or drinking water and also grows ten times faster than land plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, Vyld is sourcing its seaweed mostly from Europe \u2014 but depending on the volumes needed, it will have to make use of seaweed from Asia, where it grows abundantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe understand ourselves as part of a global movement of people who want to grow seaweed in a sustainable and regenerative way \u2014 and not make the same mistakes as land-based agriculture.\u201d says Schiller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sustainable culture, sustainable organisation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So far, Vyld has tested the seaweed in terms of its absorbency compared to other fibres and its ability to be made into packaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat we need to achieve now is to make the tampon processable on normal machinery,\u201d says Schiller. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to build a whole factory right now. Instead, we need to adjust our [seaweed] fibre to fit into the existing infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIf all goes to plan, the kelpon will be ready for mass production by the end of this year. From there, Schiller wants to use seaweed to create other absorbent products, like nappies and adult incontinence care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company isn\u2019t, however, concerned with rapid growth, says Schiller. Instead, the team of three people wants to match its desire to create sustainable products with a more measured approach to growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vyld is a self-owned company \u2014 meaning the profits are reinvested in the company or donated. Non-profit search engine Ecosia is also a self-owned company. Investors can still make returns from these kinds of companies through capped returns or dividends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe as the steward owners have the power and can make the decisions together, and we\u2019re doing that in really close partnership with our investors,\u201d says Schiller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt just doesn\u2019t make sense to produce a great, sustainable product, but then have an exploitative company structure and culture,\u201d she adds. \u201cWhat I like about this model is that it\u2019s based on trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Seaweed has been crowned a superfood in recent years, used in everything from meat substitutes to skincare products. A Berlin-based startup thinks it\u2019s also the key ingredient to making sustainable tampons, a product it\u2019s catchily named \u201ckelpons\u201d. Founded by Ines Schiller \u2014 a certified marine guide, neuroscientist and social entrepreneur \u2014 Vyld (pronounced \u201cwild\u201d) has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"If all goes to plan, the new product will be ready for mass production by the end of this year","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[7190,5838,13064,13283,12514],"supplier":[19781],"class_list":["post-104144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-algae","tag-bioeconomy","tag-personalcare","tag-seaweed","tag-skincare","supplier-vyld-ines-schiller"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104144\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104144"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=104144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}