Algal bioplastics: current market trends and technical aspects

Plastics are undebatably a hot topic of discussion across international forums due to their huge ecological footprint. The onset of COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue in an irreversible manner. Bioplastics produced from renewable sources are a result of lookout for sustainable alternatives. Replacing a ton of synthetic plastics with biobased ones reduces 1.8 tons CO₂ emissions. Here, we begin with highlighting the problem statement-Plastic accumulation and its associated negative impacts. Microalgae outperforms plants and microbes, when used to produce bioplastic due to superior growth rate, non-competitive nature to food, and simultaneous wastewater remediation. They have minimal nutrient requirements and less dependency on climatic conditions for cultivation. These are the reasons for current boom in the algal bioplastic market. However, it is still not at par in price with the petroleum-based plastics. A brief market research has been done to better evaluate the current global status and future scope of algal bioplastics. The objective of this review is to propose possible solutions to resolve the challenges in scale up of bioplastic industry. Various bioplastic production technologies have been comprehensively discussed along with their optimization strategies. Overall studies discussed show that in order to make it cost competitive adopting a multi-dimensional approach like algal biorefinery is the best way out. A holistic comparison of any bio-based alternative with its conventional counterpart is imperative to assess its impact upon commercialization. Therefore, the review concludes with the life cycle assessment of bioplastics and measures to improve their inclusivity in a circular economy.