Alga based polymer: Transition towards biomaterial design

The project investigates circumstances for sustainable alternatives to petrol-based polymers (plastic), commonly used in consumer goods. Planetary Boundaries states, a 50-fold increase in the production of chemicals since 1950, which is projected to triple again by 2050. Plastic production alone increased 79% between 2000 and 2015.
Bio-based polymers are made from renewable organic resources, like plant-based cellulose, lignin, oils, sugar enzymes, starch, protein and bacteria. Mostly based on agricultural farming of corn, sugar cane, potatoes, wheat. In global quantities, bio plastics represent a mere 0.8% equivalent to 300 million tons of the global polymer market compared to 37.1 billion tons of petrol-based polymers.
New models of responsible cultivation of biomass are necessary to replace larger quantities of petrol-based polymers, without exploiting agricultural farmland for non-food purposes. This project aims to raise awareness of our challenges with “Novel Entities”, showcase and illustrate, how material design can pose ways of investigating and pursuing smarter alternatives for increasing material demand.