York student’s plant plastic startup nominated for Earthshot

Maisy Whitehead, a 21-year-old University of York student, began a sustainable plastic idea in Class 9 and now runs VegoPak. The plant-based biodegradable material aims to replace conventional plastic in packaging and other uses. After manufacturing and biodegradation tests, the startup is scaling production and has been nominated for the Earthshot Prize 2027, which is not a win.