James Murdoch-Backed Startup Develops Biodegradable Water Bottle (2)

The Cove water bottle is a thin, sturdy cylinder, eggshell-white with a matching lid. It feels familiar. “If someone gave that to you,” offeredAlex Totterman, Cove’s founder and chief executive, “you probably would have no idea that that wasn’t a plastic bottle.”

If someone does give you this bottle, it would be a remarkable achievement. Scientists and businesses have spent many years and much money trying to replace everyday packaging with natural materials that don’t pollute the Earth — so far, that’s given us little beyond compostable straws. But the challenge hasn’t deterred Cove from its own five-year journey to ...