A health supplement ingredient may help us make stronger bioplastics. 

The University of Washington has developed a bioplastic from Spirulina, a microscopic blue-green algae which is often consumed as a dietary supplement due to its high nutritional content. 

Through our research, we found that this innovation stands out for several reasons:

• It’s made from a carbon-negative feedstock (so it absorbs more CO2 than it emits)
• Its backyard-compostable and recyclable
• It boasts mechanical properties that surpass other biobased plastics, like thermoplastic starch.
• It’s machine-able and does not require redesigning of manufacturing lines.

This breakthrough surpasses previous efforts in creating spirulina-based bioplastics because of the enhanced strength and stiffness. 

This is because the UW team altered their processing conditions — such as temperature, pressure— and studied the resulting materials’ structural properties.

However, before industrial scaling, these bioplastics need further development to overcome brittleness and water sensitivity

This research has also caught the eye of tech giants like Microsoft, Meta, and received funding from the National Science Foundation. 

Similar to this innovation, research is moving beyond sustainability, and focusing more on restoring ecosystems and minimizing environmental harm throughout the product’s lifecycle.

There are three regenerative packaging trends that are going to be the focus of the packaging industry in 2024. Find the technologies and the companies driving these advancements here-  https://www.greyb.com/blog/regenerative-packaging/