PHA-Based Bioplastic: a Potential Alternative to Address Microplastic Pollution

Abstract

Petroleum-derived plastics are linked to a variety of growing environmental issues throughout their lifecycle, including emission of greenhouse gases, accumulation in terrestrial and marine habitats, pollution, among others. There has been a lot of attention over the last decade in industrial and research communities in developing and producing eco-friendly polymers to deal with the current environmental issues. Bioplastics preferably are a fast-developing family of polymeric substances that are frequently promoted as substitutes to petroleum-derived plastics . Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have a number of appealing properties that make PHAs a feasible source material for bioplastics, either as a direct replacement of petroleum-derived plastics or as a blend with elements derived from natural origin, fabricated biodegradable polymers, and/or non-biodegradable polymers. Among the most promising PHAs, polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs) are the most well-known and have a significant potential to replace traditional plastics. These biodegradable plastics decompose faster after decomposing into carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic chemicals. Bioplastics have been extensively utilized in several sectors such as food-processing industry, medical, agriculture, automobile industry, etc. However, it is also associated with disadvantages like high cost, uneconomic feasibility, brittleness, and hydrophilic nature. A variety of tactics have been explored to improve the qualities of bioplastics, with the most prevalent being the development of gas and water barrier properties. The prime objective of this study is to review the current knowledge on PHAs and provide a brief introduction to PHAs, which have drawn attention as a possible potential alternative to conventional plastics due to their biological origin, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, thereby reducing the negative impact of microplastics in the environment. This review may help trigger further scientific interest to thoroughly research on PHAs as a sustainable option to greener bioplastics.

Review on food waste valorisation for bioplastic production towards a circular economy: sustainable approaches and biodegradability assessment

“…Bioplastics are hailed to be a prospective unique innovative substance to solve these issues because they function in a similar manner to synthetic plastics, which are environmentally sustainable. 19 Bioplastics resemble conventional plastics in appearance and can be utilised for various purposes (Fig. 3), including agricultural composting, sewage management, a wide range of packaging uses, health and prosthesis, catering and sanitary supplies, and totes.…”

“…At high temperatures, anaerobic digestion is possible for various polymers, including polycaprolactones, thermoplastic starch, PLA, and PHAs. 19,21,107…”

Exploring the Feasibility of Cell-Free Synthesis as a Platform for Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Production: Opportunities and Challenges

“…Since then, PHAs have attracted significant commercial and research interest in the green polymer market due to their desirable properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and diversified chemical structures. PHAs have been recognized as a green alternative to conventional petroleum-derived plastics [ 29 ].…”

Utilizing Anthocyanin Incorporated Chitosan-Neem Gum Nanocomposites for Smart and Active Food Packaging Solutions

“…The environmental challenges associated with petroleum-based plastics, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are predominantly used in food packaging applications, are well understood by the human race. Therefore, the scientific community is continually searching for biobased alternatives (Acharjee et al, 2023;Ncube et al, 2020). Some remarkable properties of biopolymers, such as their low cost, availability, biodegradability, antimicrobial properties, and renewability, have attracted the scientific community to explore their suitability in various applications, including food packaging.…”