A Evaluating Seaweed as a Sustainable Solution

A Path Toward Eco-Friendly Bioplastics and Biofuels

Abstract

Sustainable materials are of growing importance due to the carbon footprint of many materials contributing to climate change. Seaweed is a promising material with many potential sustainable end uses, such as biofuel and alternatives to single-use plastics. A challenge for implementing sustainable materials is the cost and performance compared to in-use materials. This study focuses on what seaweed products are more sustainable to produce, use, and dispose of compared to current materials while being economically competitive and easily adapted by consumers. Through a literature review, 11 seaweed products were identified as more sustainable compared to their traditional counterparts. These products were ranked using a custom framework that considered the sustainable materials' CO2 emissions, disposal methods, production costs, and marketability compared to current traditional products. Bioplastics were identified as the most promising material over seaweed-based biofuels and bio-papers for further commercialization. The highest overall scoring material was seaweed bioplastic food wrapper coating. Other highly-scoring seaweed bioplastic products included straws and utensils.