Microalgae-based bioplastics: Future solution towards mitigation of plastic wastes

Jun Wei Roy Chong; Xuefei Tan; Kuan Shiong Khoo; Hui Suan Ng; Woranart Jonglertjunya; Guo Yong Yew; Pau Loke Show

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.112620

Microalgae-based bioplastics: Future solution towards mitigation of plastic wastes

Environ Res. 2022 Apr 15:206:112620. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112620. Epub 2021 Dec 27.

Authors

Jun Wei Roy Chong¹, Xuefei Tan², Kuan Shiong Khoo³, Hui Suan Ng⁴, Woranart Jonglertjunya⁵, Guo Yong Yew⁶, Pau Loke Show⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Heilongjiang Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150050, People's Republic of China; Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
² College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Heilongjiang Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150050, People's Republic of China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: tanxuefei2016@126.com.
³ Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, No. 1, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights, Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: kuanshiong.khoo@hotmail.com.
⁴ Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, No. 1, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights, Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁵ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Salaya, Putthamonthon, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand.
⁶ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
⁷ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Electronic address: pauloke.show@nottingham.edu.my.

PMID: 34968431
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112620

Abstract

Global demand for plastic materials has severely harm the environment and marine sea life. Therefore, bioplastics have emerged as an environmentally friendly alternative due to sustainability, minimal carbon footprint, less toxicity and high degradability. This review highlights the sustainable and environmentally friendly approach towards bioplastic production by utilizing microalgae as a feed source in several ways. First, the microalgae biomass obtained through the biorefinery approach can be processed into PHA under certain nutrient limitations. Additionally, microalgae biomass can act as potential filler and reinforcement towards the enhancement of bioplastic either blending with conventional bioplastic or synthetic polymer. The downstream processing of microalgae via suitable extraction and pre-treatment of bioactive compounds such as lipids and cellulose are found to be promising for the production of bioplastics. Moving on, the intermediate processing of bioplastic via lactic acid synthesized from microalgae has favoured the microwave-assisted synthesis of polylactic acid due to cost efficiency, minimum solvent usage, low energy consumption, and fast rate of reaction. Moreover, the reliability and effectiveness of microalgae-based bioplastics are further evaluated in terms of techno-economic analysis and degradation mechanism. Future improvement and recommendations are listed towards proper genetic modification of algae strains, large-scale biofilm technology, low-cost cultivation medium, and novel avocado seed-microalgae bioplastic blend.

Keywords: Bioplastic; Blending; Cellulose; Lactic acid; Lipids; Microalgae.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Biofuels
Biomass
Microalgae*
Plastics
Polymers
Reproducibility of Results

Substances

Biofuels
Plastics
Polymers