Algae to replace Petroleum content in Plastics?

While many have heard algae being proclaimed as the fuel source that could potentially replace a large part of the petroleum we use, Cleantechies.com’s Feb. 26th blog post discusses the application of algae to the plastics industry as another renewable resin.[1] Cereplast, a renewable plastics company, announced in Oct. 2009 that algae-based resins “could replace 50% or more of the petroleum content used in traditional plastic resins.”[2] CEO Frederic Scheer explained that there are several benefits associated with algae-based plastics when compared with traditional petroleum based ones: Algae-based plastics have the potential to help cut down on the United State’s reliance on foreign oil; they offer a smaller impact on the environment since some types will biodegrade in 180 days without leaving any harmful chemical residue; bio-plastics, unlike petroleum based ones, are not linked with the price of oil and Cereplast’s “bioplastic resins require significantly less energy during production permitting additional savings.” Lastly, Scheer discusses how, unlike other bioplastic producers, Cereplast has the ability to economically stand on its own without any subsidies or tax breaks from the government: “So far Cereplast has been growing up with no subsidies or tax incentives,” Sheer said. “We would welcome such assistance but we believe in free enterprises and therefore our products need to be economically sustainable.”



Lastly, one of the best things about Cereplast’s process of creating bioplastics from algae is that it still allows for the co-production of algae biofuels. In a nut shell: oil can be extracted from algae for use as fuel with the remaining algal biomass being used as a source for plastic production.



The Department of Defense’s research arm, DARPA, announced Feb. 13 that production of fossil fuel from algae will begin in 2013 at a competitive cost with petroleum, thereby supporting Cereplast’s rosy outlook that the bioplastic market is growing and could top 30% of the total plastic market in just ten years.[3]



[1] Jonathan Willians, “Molding a Future for Algae-Based Plastic,” published February 26th, 2010, accessible at: http://blog.cleantechies.com/2010/02/26/molding-a-future-for-algae-based-plastic/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cleantechies+%28CleanTechies+Blog%29&utm_content=FeedBurner.

[1] “Cereplast to Transform Algae into Bioplastics,” Cereplast Press Release, October 20th, 2009, accessible at: http://www.cereplast.com/pressrealeasedetail.php?newsid=124.

[1] “Cereplast Expects U.S. Bio-Plastics Market to Top $10B by 2020,” Cereplast Press Release, November 11th, 2009, accessible at http://www.cereplast.com/pressrealeasedetail.php?newsid=125.