Packaging made from … algae?

The ability to combine nature and packaging is pretty exciting and innovative. And if bioplastic provider Cereplast predictions hold true, we might eventually see the usage of 100% algae in packaging. Talk about a whole new type of green packaging, eh?

The company is advancing the research and development stage in preparation to bring to the market a more sustainable and cost efficient process for the development of algae bioplastic resins. By using an algae biomass selection process in which food-based materials are not fed to the algae for growth, the food chain is not impacted, increasing sustainability, the company stated. The material is also expected to lower costs in algae bioplastics development by deploying post-industrial processes, enabling the re-use of materials. In March, the company filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for algae bio-content polymers.

Algaeplast, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cereplast (http://www.cereplast.com/), develops algae-based bioplastics, leveraging post-industrial processes such as nutrient recovery from effluent waste streams and from carbon dioxide sequestration systems. As the algae biomass derived from these processes have already served a primary purpose, Algaeplast touts that the secondary use of the material can result in cost savings and increased efficiency due to material re-usage. In addition, Algaeplast does not use algae fed with food-based materials for growth. Algaeplast believes it’s the only company utilizing this criterion for the production of algae bioplastics.

Algaeplast has four demonstration grades of algae in polypropylene with an algae biomass content from 15% to 51%. A newly commercialized grade includes algae in a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). These grades show the ability for Algaeplast to formulate with algae biomass in TPE, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), ethylene acrylate (EA) and other polymers. The ability to make algae biomass compatible in polymers has been practiced by Cereplast for several years.

Scheer added, “Cereplast is committed to being at the forefront of algae bioplastics development as we see tremendous demand and opportunity for this type of resin.”

Algaeplast has several development programs in process for customer specific applications. The materials Algaeplast is working on are expected to become available in the second half of 2016.

One thing to keep in mind – algae has quite a strong smell. So it will be interesting to see if the company will be able to mask it.