Bioplastic Production from Microalgae: A Review.

Senem Onen Cinar,Kerstin Kuchta,Zhi Kai Chong,Mehmet Ali Kucuker,Nils Wieczorek,Ugur Cengiz

doi:10.3390/ijerph17113842

Abstract

Plastic waste production around the world is increasing, which leads to global plastic waste pollution. The need for an innovative solution to reduce this pollution is inevitable. Increased recycling of plastic waste alone is not a comprehensive solution. Furthermore, decreasing fossil-based plastic usage is an important aspect of sustainability. As an alternative to fossil-based plastics in the market, bio-based plastics are gaining in popularity. According to the studies conducted, products with similar performance characteristics can be obtained using biological feedstocks instead of fossil-based sources. In particular, bioplastic production from microalgae is a new opportunity to be explored and further improved. The aim of this study is to determine the current state of bioplastic production technologies from microalgae species and reveal possible optimization opportunities in the process and application areas. Therefore, the species used as resources for bioplastic production, the microalgae cultivation methods and bioplastic material production methods from microalgae were summarized.

Highlights

Global plastic demand, driven by the increasing usage of plastic-based materials, has been increasing and adding stress to the current waste management infrastructure [1]
Glycerol compared to commercial plastic bags. These results showed that the produced bioplastic can be used for food packaging, in pharmaceutical applications or cosmetics, where high elongation is not needed [22]
Chlorella and Spirulina species were the most commonly used in the production of both biopolymers and plastic blends

Summary

Introduction

Driven by the increasing usage of plastic-based materials, has been increasing and adding stress to the current waste management infrastructure [1]. There is significant interest to decrease the reliance on petroleum-based plastic products, which causes global environmental pollution [2]. More than eight million tons of plastic waste leaks into oceans every year, which can be mitigated through innovative redesigns of packaging materials [3]. Plastics can be classified based on two factors: fossil-based or bio-based, non-biodegradable or biodegradable. Bio-based plastics are further classified into three categories: Modified natural polymers, synthesized bio-based polymers from synthesized bio-based monomers and bioplastics from waste [5]

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion