Bioplastic Production from Microalgae: A Review

• Main Authors: Senem Onen Cinar, Zhi Kai Chong, Mehmet Ali Kucuker, Nils Wieczorek, Ugur Cengiz, Kerstin Kuchta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: bioplastic; microalgae; bioeconomy; biodegradable plastic; circular economy; bio-based plastic
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/11/3842

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.