Bioplastic from Seashells and Algae biomass

Prompted by the need to diversify the sources of biomass for their production, a French company started new production lines working with original bio sources. The aim was to create a high performance and biobased compounds sold to the packaging industry to develop products for several sectors.

The innovation lies on the use of different kind of biomass by-products as fillers in polymers in order to produce packaging.

Biomass from aquatic coproducts (scallops, oysters, algae) result as a suitable input for primary injection moulding processes in the production of rigid secondary packaging, regular consumption goods, technical parts, agriculture and horticulture products, cosmetic.

The raw material needs to be crushed into a powder before being used by the plastic industry.

Benefit for farmers is to be able to recover biomass by-products or wastes in a new market. A cost item can thus become a profit item for them. These examples show good opportunities for farmers to find innovative end-of-life to their wastes and to support the production of environmentally efficient products. Regarding the use of by-products as fillers, The company has direct buying contract with farmers or cooperatives. For the use as raw material for polymer production, farmers have direct contracts with biopolymers manufacturers.