Current status and perspectives of algae-based bioplastics: A reviewed potential for sustainability

The manufacturing rate of disposable plastic products is currently overwhelming the world's capability to deal with them. Therefore, plastics and microplastics pollution has presently become the major environmental challenge to the human race and environment. The recycling of plastic waste rate is considerably low in many developing countries. To overcome this environmental issue, the production of non-degradable conventional plastics adopted by petroleum-based sources should be reduced in order to lower down its usage. Plastics obtained from bio-based sources exhibit similar structural, chemical and physical characteristics as compared to plastics derived from petroleum-based sources. Bioplastics produced from biomass which are the edible crops have been available for decades. Aside from these feedstocks, photosynthetic algae have shown remarkable carbon fixation abilities in producing sugars for bacterial fermentation and subsequently used for the bioplastics production. Algae biomass could also be blended with conventional plastics to reduce the dependency of petroleum-based sources. Some of the algae species are found to accumulate polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) which can be extracted for the bioplastics production. The aim of this review paper is to summarise the bioplastics that are currently in place and evaluates the potential of microalgae as the alternative feedstock for the bioplastics production. The current technologies and methods applied in producing bioplastics, the potential and challenges of algae-based bioplastics are being reviewed. This review will provide a better understanding in terms of environmental sustainability, society well-being and the feasibility of bioplastics production using algae as feedstock, especially for the researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, industrial stakeholders and as well the government sectors, in making decisions in their respective fields.