Trapped in a lake, founder spots a bioplastic opportunity – Nature Biotechnology

To control its growth, researchers and community leaders have tried to mechanically remove the plants, spray them with selective herbicides, and release insects such as weevils (Neochetina bruchi and N. eichhorniae) to damage the plants, with limited success.

One Kenyan startup has now developed a way to turn the aggressive water plant into something useful: bioplastic. The company, HyaPak Ecotech in Nairobi, Kenya, was born in 2022 after its founder, Joseph Nguthiru, got trapped in the aquatic weed while boating on nearby Lake Naivasha.