Step one

Mix the agar agar, glycerine, and charcoal dye together in a saucepan and stir until everything has been dissolved.

Step two

Place the pan on the stove and heat the mixture to 95 degrees Celsius. Keep stirring the whole time.

Step three

When the mixture begins to bubble, remove the pan from the heat and skim off the froth.

Step four

Pour the mixture into a metal, glass, or silicon tray/mould. Ideally the sheet should measure roughly 5mm in depth.

Step five

Sprinkle with charcoal.

Step six

Place a muslin cloth over the tray, making sure not to catch the mixture in the fabric.

Step seven

Leave the mixture to set in a cool, dry spot. Alternatively, you can place it in the oven with just the fan on.

This recipe creates a strong, thin bioplastic. Suitable for sewing and heat-sealed applications. Pleasing, matt texture.

Lasercutting was very successful when taped to cardboard and cut on a 1.8mm card setting.

Step eight

Bioplastics can take 1 to 3 days to dry, especially when humidity is high.