The Blue Economy's Biopolymers: Using Marine Biomass to Develop Sustainable Polymers—Overview

ABSTRACT To solve the global plastic pollution challenge through sustainable polymer innovation, this review article explores the transformational potential of biopolymers generated from marine sources within the blue economy. These biopolymers provide sustainable, biodegradable substitutes for plastics made from fossil fuels by using marine biomass. Using environmentally benign techniques such as alkaline and enzymatic treatments, researchers extract polysaccharides, chitin, and collagen through a simplified procedure, attaining yields of 20%–30% for alginate and 15%–25% for chitin with 80% efficiency. Nanotechnology is used in polymer processing to enable 95% encapsulation efficiency and improve barrier and tensile strengths by 30% and 50%, respectively. The resultant biopolymers—packaging films, medical bandages made of chitosan, and agricultural mulch made from seaweed—degrade by 90% in 6 weeks, providing a sustainable substitute for traditional plastics. Marine biopolymers, which promise less ocean pollution and economic prosperity for coastal communities, are in line with Sustainable Development Goal 14 because of breakthroughs, such as carbon‐negative PHAs and packaging made from seaweed.