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Life Cycle Assessment of pilot scale production of seaweed-based bioplastic
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Researchers conducted a life cycle assessment of pilot-scale seaweed-based bioplastic film production, finding that while the process reduces fossil fuel use compared to conventional plastics, high energy demands during seaweed cultivation and drying offset some environmental gains.
The use of seaweed as a bioresource for plastic production is gaining momentum. However, the environmental impacts of the production of this novel bioplastic are still unknown. In this research, we assess the environmental impacts of the production of a bioplastic film at an experimental pilot scale using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The system boundaries chosen for this analysis include seaweed cultivation accounting for its carbon uptake, alginate extraction, production of bioplastic film at the pilot scale and different end-of-life pathways. The recirculation of different seaweed co-products from the alginate extraction step into the bioplastic film production is also assessed using scenario modelling and the analysis is completed with a carbon balance and an uncertainty analysis. The results show the main hotspot at the pilot scale is the last step in the production, film fabrication, mainly due to the glycerol in this process. The results also vary significantly depending on the end-of-life of the bioplastic, composting reduces the impacts by 30 % compared to incineration.
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Researchers conducted a prospective life cycle assessment of brown seaweed-based bioplastic scaled to industrial production, finding that at 2 million tonnes per year by 2035, the material generates roughly 1.37 kg CO2-eq per kilogram — significantly lower than conventional low-density polyethylene at 3.6 kg CO2-eq — supporting seaweed bioplastics as a more sustainable alternative.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.