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PHBV cycle of life using waste as a starting point: from production to recyclability
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This review examines PHBV, a biodegradable plastic made by bacteria from food waste, as a potential replacement for conventional petroleum-based plastics. Unlike traditional plastics that break down into persistent microplastics, PHBV can fully decompose in natural environments and be recycled in a circular economy. Switching to biodegradable alternatives like PHBV could help reduce the ongoing buildup of microplastic pollution that threatens human health.
Global concern about plastic pollution is forcing new policies and modifications of human consumption as well as promoting new research lines aiming at the replacement of non-degradable plastics with other polymers more environmentally friendly. Addressing food waste and promoting circular economy strategies, among other approaches, are crucial in reducing environmental impacts and fostering sustainability in several sectors like the agri-food industry. The European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan is a significant initiative in this direction. Biotechnological processes, especially the valorisation of agri-food waste to produce highly marketed biomolecules like poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) using microorganisms as cellular factories, offer promising avenues for achieving these goals. PHBV is a biodegradable polymer firstly characterised as an isolated biopolymer from bacterial biomass. This biopolymer shows interesting physicochemical properties making possible immense potential in various applications due to its biocompatibility and sustainability, thus revealing it as a good candidate to replace plastics produced by chemical synthesis from petroleum (which are highly recalcitrant and consequently pollutants). This review critically analyses the PHBV synthesis and end-of-life scenarios from their synthesis using chemical and biological pathways, through the forms of biotechnological operation and production, to the forms described until the moment of recycling.
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The co-conversion of methane and mixtures of volatile fatty acids into poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) expands the potential of an integrated biorefinery
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Researchers used a methane-consuming bacterium to simultaneously convert natural gas and food waste byproducts into PHBV, a biodegradable plastic alternative, achieving yields that varied depending on the mix of waste acids supplied. This integrated biorefinery approach could reduce reliance on conventional petroleum-based plastics by making biodegradable polymers from waste streams.
PHB - Bio Based and Biodegradable Replacement for PP
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This review examined polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as a biodegradable, bio-based replacement for polypropylene in food packaging, noting that PHB is produced naturally by bacteria and degrades in marine environments unlike conventional plastics. The paper highlights PHB's potential to reduce plastic waste and microplastic pollution from short-lived packaging.
Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer from crop residue using bacteria as an alternative to plastics: a review
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This review examines how PHA, a biodegradable plastic made from crop waste using bacteria, could serve as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics. While PHA breaks down naturally unlike traditional plastics that fragment into microplastics, challenges remain in making it heat-stable and cost-competitive enough for widespread industrial use.
PHA, the Greenest Plastic So Far: Advancing Microbial Synthesis, Recovery, and Sustainable Applications for Circularity
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This review examines polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of biodegradable plastics made by bacteria that could replace conventional petroleum-based plastics. Switching to PHAs could significantly reduce microplastic pollution because unlike traditional plastics, these materials fully break down in the environment rather than fragmenting into persistent microplastic particles.
Closing the loop on plastics: Biological and hybrid routes for converting plastic waste to polyhydroxyalkanoates.
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Scientists are exploring how to turn plastic waste into biodegradable plastic using bacteria, essentially recycling trash into a safer material that breaks down naturally instead of piling up in landfills or oceans. This review pulls together existing research on the process, highlighting that while promising, the technology still faces hurdles like breaking down plastic efficiently and scaling it up affordably. If perfected, this approach could reduce the amount of plastic waste that degrades into microplastics, which have been found in human blood, organs, and even breast milk, raising ongoing health concerns.
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