until recently the most widely available
biopolymer on the market, and set to be out ranked
by bio-based polyethylene therephtalate (PET) or
polyethylene (PE), among others, also obtained via
a similar synthesis route. In contrast, polyhydroxyalkanoates
(PHAs) are biogenic polyesters that
can be naturally accumulated in microbial cultures.
Among this latter category, obtained via so called
bio-refineries, algae serve as an excellent pathway
for plastic production owing to their numerous
advantages such as high yield and the ability to
grow in a range of environments. Algae biopolymers
mainly evolved as a by-product of algae biofuel
production, where companies were exploring
alternative sources of revenue in addition to those
obtained from the biofuels. Moreover the use of
algae opens up the possibility of utilizing carbon,
neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions from factories
or power plants. Algae based plastics have been
a recent trend in the era of bioplastics compared to
traditional methods of utilizing feedstock, such as
starch from corn and potatoes, in polymers production,
and plastic formulations.
Various processes for the cultivation of algae and
production of biopolymers exist. Fundamentally,
they comprise two stages: a first stage, in which
algae growth is initiated and a second stage where
the biopolymer accumulation is promoted. Although
increasing research on the use of microalgae for
such production, e.g. PHA, most studies are still at