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Role of microalgae as a sustainable alternative of biopolymers and its application in industries
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Not a microplastics paper — this review examines the potential of algae-derived biopolymers (such as alginate, carrageenan, and polyhydroxyalkanoates) as biodegradable, eco-friendly replacements for petroleum-based plastics, highlighting their advantages but noting challenges for large-scale production.
The escalating accumulation of petroleum-based polymers has depleted resources and raised environmental concerns due to their non-recyclable and non-biodegradable nature. Consequently, there has been a growing interest in bio-based plastics, particularly algal-based biopolymers, which offer recyclability and eco-friendliness. Algae-derived polymers have distinct advantages, such as autotrophic growth reducing greenhouse gas emissions, rapid growth rate, low nutritional requirements, and resilience to harsh environments. Additionally, algae exhibit higher photosynthetic potential (10-20%) compared to terrestrial plants (1%-2%). The range of algal-derived polymers includes alginate, laminarin, fucoidan, carrageenan, agar, ulvan, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and poly-(Hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). However, further efforts are required to implement them on a large scale. This review highlights algae's potential as a raw material for biopolymer production, exploring their characteristics and applications in diverse industries like food and pharmaceuticals.
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Microalgae as Contributors to Produce Biopolymers
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This review examined how microalgae can produce biopolymers as sustainable alternatives to fossil-based plastics, highlighting their potential for generating biodegradable materials like polyhydroxyalkanoates and polysaccharides for packaging and biomedical applications.
Microalgae as a Source of Biopolymer - A Comprehensive Review
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This review examines microalgae as a source of biopolymers for sustainable plastic alternatives, evaluating the potential of algae-derived materials to address the environmental and health harms caused by conventional plastic waste and microplastic pollution through biodegradable substitutes.
Harnessing marine macroalgae for bioplastic materials production: a comprehensive review
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This review examined the potential of marine macroalgae-derived bioplastics using polysaccharides including alginate, carrageenan, and agar, highlighting their biodegradability and reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional plastics. Key barriers to commercialization include high production costs, mechanical deficiencies, and scalability limitations, which may be addressed through blending with other biopolymers and investment in biorefinery technologies.
Algal bioplastics: current market trends and technical aspects
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Researchers reviewed the status and commercial potential of algal bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics, finding that microalgae outperform plants and microbes for bioplastic feedstock due to their fast growth and wastewater remediation capacity, while cost remains a key barrier to scale-up.
The Development of Marine Polymers in Food Packaging Applications
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Researchers reviewed the development of marine-derived polymers — including algal, crustacean, and microbial biopolymers — as sustainable food packaging alternatives, evaluating their potential to replace conventional petroleum-based plastics that fragment into persistent ocean microplastics.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.