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Harnessing marine macroalgae for bioplastic materials production: a comprehensive review
Summary
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.
The escalating environmental issues linked to petroleum-derived plastics have prompted the exploration of environmentally friendly alternates, with macroalgae from the sea presenting a viable feedstock for bioplastic manufacturing. This paper examines the possibilities of bioplastics generated from macroalgae, emphasizing essential polysaccharides like alginate, carrageenan, and agar, which provide biodegradability, sustainability, and a decreased carbon footprint relative to traditional plastics. The discourse encompasses the chemical composition, extraction methodologies, as well as polymer processing processes, including innovations in enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) as well as nanocomposite incorporation to improve material characteristics. Notwithstanding its benefits, macroalgae-derived bioplastics encounter obstacles like elevated production expenses, mechanical deficiencies, and restrictions in scalability. Integrating methods using additional biopolymers along with plasticizers might enhance flexibility, moisture resistance, and strength hence broadening their potential uses in biomedical, packaging, as well as industrial domains. Furthermore, sustainable algae cultivation, policy endorsement, and expenditure on biorefinery techniques are essential to achieve commercial feasibility. This analysis emphasizes the economic, ecological, as well as technological obstacles impeding large-scale implementation, while also pinpointing prospective avenues for research and development. Overcoming these constraints could enable marine macroalgae-based bioplastics to foster a more sustainable, circular bioeconomy, diminish dependence on fossil fuels, as well as alleviate plastic contamination.